151-year-old railway station razed as part of reconstruction project

Hyderabad: The South-Central Railway authorities on Friday began demolishing the 151-year-old Secunderabad Railway Station as part of a modernisation project at a cost of ₹720 crore. The iconic landmark, which was built in 1874 and remodelled in 1952 and is considered among the oldest railway stations in the country, is being pulled down to make way for a modern station with world-class facilities, comparable to an international airport The iconic landmark, which was built in 1874 and remodelled in 1952 and is considered among the oldest railway stations in the country, is being pulled down to make way for a modern station with world-class facilities, comparable to an international airport, said a senior railway official. According to officials, the modernised Secunderabad railway station will have terminal buildings on northern and southern sides, each with ground plus three floors, a double-storey sky concourse, two 7.5-metre-wide travelators on either side, 26 lifts, 32 escalators, two wide footbridges, and multi-level and underground parking facilities. According to P Anuradha Reddy, convener of Indian National Trust for Architecture and Cultural Heritage, Hyderabad chapter, the Secunderabad railway station was constructed during the period of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, in 1874, as part of connecting Hyderabad with the rest of the country.