GUNTUR: The doubling and electrification works of the Guntur-Guntakal railway project, one of the crucial endeavours undertaken by the South Central Railway (SCR), are progressing rapidly. In a significant milestone, the railway department recently inaugurated the second railway track between Bethamcherla and Bugganipalli in Kurnool district. This completion marks the culmination of 113 km of doubling-electrification works between Guntakal and Bugginapalli.
The Guntur-Guntakal project, initiated in 2016-17, spans a distance of 405 km, with an estimated cost of `3,887 crore. Thus far, sections covering 200 km between Nallapadu and Giddalur, and 107 km between Bethamcherla and Bugganapalli, along with an additional 6 km between Bethamcherla and Bugganapalli, totalling 313 km of doubling works and electrification, have been completed and commissioned.
The project has seen inaugurations along 307 km, including new signalling arrangements with an Electronic Interlocking system consisting of 51 routes. During an event on March 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 12 sections of the project, along with 133 One Station One Product units, three PM Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals, seven goods sheds, and one PM Janaushadi Kendra, as well as two rail coach restaurants under the Guntur railway division, to the nation.
Railway officials emphasise that this project serves as a vital link connecting the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh with the Rayalaseema region and further south. The railway line traverses Guntur, Prakasam, Palnadu, Nandyal, and Kurnool districts, linking hinterland areas. The doubling works will enhance connectivity between Guntur and the Rayalaseema region, facilitating an increased number of trains between Guntur and Guntakal, particularly from Hyderabad to the Rayalaseema region and beyond to the south.
Moreover, the doubling of this section will bolster the overall train handling capacity in the Guntur-Vijayawada region, potentially allowing for the diversion of more trains via Guntur to alleviate rail traffic congestion. It will also enhance freight transportation by leveraging the mineral-rich Palnadu region’s potential to transport goods across the country.