VIJAYAWADA: The South Central Railway (SCR) has commissioned a major 221 km-long rail line doubling and electrification project to give a boost to agriculture and aquaculture in the coastal region of the State. According to the SCR officials, electrification of the final 32.8-km stretch of rail line between Aravalli and Nidadavolu was commissioned, marking the completion of the decade-old project. The vital Vijayawada-Gudivada-Bhimavaram-Narasapuram electrification, Gudivada-Machilipatnam and Narsapur-Nidadavolu doubling and electrification project was sanctioned in 2011-12 at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.
The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited executed the project in five phases. The doubling and electrification will enable operation of trains with electric traction on an end-to-end basis on these routes. Calling it a ‘super critical project’, SCR general manager (in charge) Arun Kumar Jain noted that its completion marked yet another milestone in the development of the railway network in the coastal region.
More importantly, the augmented infrastructure project will boost transportation of agriculture and aquaculture products. ‘This is a prestigious project in the coastal belt of the State that will boost development of the region. This will significantly strengthen rail transport infrastructure by providing seamless movement of freight and passenger traffic,” SCR chief public relations officer Ch Rakesh said.