Vijayawada today
Vijayawada railway station, officially Vijayawada Junction (station code BZA), is the main station of Vijayawada, on the banks of the Krishna river, and one of the busiest junctions in India. Two of the country's great trunk routes meet here: the Howrah–Chennai line along the east coast and the Delhi–Chennai line via Nagpur and the Deccan. It falls within the South Coast Railway zone, heads the Vijayawada division, and is graded NSG-1.
Every day the station handles about 140,000 passengers, roughly 50 million a year, with about 258 passenger trains and 150 freight trains. It has been described as the fourth-busiest railway station in the country.
Vijayawada through the years
- 1888: the Southern Mahratta Railway connects Vijayawada on the route eastwards; the station dates from this year.
- 1889: the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway builds the Secunderabad–Vijayawada line.
- 1 November 1899: the broad-gauge line to Madras (Chennai) is completed.
- 1950s: after Indian Railways is reorganised, the station becomes part of the Southern Railway.
- 1966: the new South Central Railway zone is created and Vijayawada joins it.
- 1969: the Golconda Express is introduced between Vijayawada and Secunderabad.
- September 2023: the station receives an IGBC platinum rating for its environmental projects.
Tracks and platforms at Vijayawada
Trains use 10 platforms on 24 broad-gauge, electrified tracks, about 19 metres above sea level; platform 7 is the longest. A 490-metre foot overbridge links the platforms, and route relay interlocking signalling handles the heavy train movements. The station also has a loco shed, with 53 active locomotives as of June 2025.
Satellite stations
To ease congestion at Vijayawada Junction, nearby Rayanapadu and Gunadala are being developed as satellite stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, so some trains may start or stop there instead.
Trains at Vijayawada
Vijayawada is a stop for almost every train between Howrah and Chennai, and between Delhi and Chennai via the Deccan, plus Vande Bharat and express services to Visakhapatnam, Secunderabad, Tirupati and Bengaluru. Trains on both trunk routes through Vijayawada are listed on the train timings page.
Reaching Vijayawada
- Bus: the city's main bus station, Pandit Nehru Bus Station, is close by.
- Road: autos and taxis from the station forecourt.
- Nearby: Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh capital region, and the Kanaka Durga Temple are a short drive away.
Vijayawada pointers
- Many through trains stop for only a few minutes; track your train on live running status.
- Check whether your train uses Vijayawada Junction or one of the satellite stations.