VIJAYAWADA: South Central Railway (SCR) will focus on improving the railway infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh this year with equal priority to safety and passenger amenities, Vinod Kumar Yadav, the new general manager of SCR has said.
Yadav, who assumed charge on January 10, visited Vijayawada for the first time and had interaction with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Secretary SP Tucker and DGP N Sambasiva Rao. He was assured complete cooperation for expediting the land acquisition pertaining to certain projects including Nadikudi-Srikalahasti, Kotipalli-Narasapur, Gudur-Dugarajapatnam among others.
Speaking to reporters at Vijayawada Railway Station on Monday, he said the Chief Secretary had even called the district collectors concerned and directed them to give top priority to the land acquisition and other issues pertaining to railway projects. He said once infrastructure is in place, more trains can be operated.
“Primarily we have focused on seven to eight important projects, of which some have been completed and some more will be completed and commissioned by March. New line between Banaganapalle-Nandyal of 28-km length has been completed. The last mile connectivity projects — electrification of Guntakal-Wadi sector and Mantralayam-Matwara sector — will be completed soon. New line between Mattampalli-Janpahad of 19-km length will be completed by March,” he said.