VIJAYAWADA: The South Central Railway (SCR) has commissioned doubling of the line between Akividu and Bhimavaram railway stations in Vijayawada Division, with the running of Tirupati-Bilaspur Express (train no 17842).
According to SCR officials, the newly-commissioned line is important as it is a part of the Gudivada-Bhimavaram section in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh. For the expansion of rail network between Vijayawada and the coastal belt, the SCR has taken up doubling and electrification project in 221 km.
The project was sanctioned on a cost sharing basis in 2011-12 with an estimated cost of `1,428.70 crore; 50 per cent of the expenditure is to be borne by the State government. Construction of this project has been entrusted to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. For speedy execution, the work has been divided into five phases: Vijayawada-Moturu, Moturu-Bhimavaram Town, Bhimavaram Town-Nidadavolu, Gudivada-Machilipatnam and Bhimavaram-Narsapur.
Doubling between Moturu-Akividu, for a distance of 40 km, was completed in March 2019, and has now been extended till Bhimavaram Town. The project will also facilitate in running of more trains.