VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Mines, Geology and Excise Kollu Ravindra appealed to the Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw to complete the 45 km-long Machilipatnam - Repalle railway line and fulfil the decades old desire of the Machilipatnam people.
As part of his Delhi visit, Minister Ravindra called on the Union Railways Minister and submitted a memorandum, seeking the completion of the railway line. Highlighting the history of Machilipatnam as an international business centre decades ago, the Minister informed Ashwini Vaishnaw that if the railway line is completed, it would reduce the traffic on Chennai - Kolkata line, as well as 100 km distance.
Diversion of goods trains towards Machilipatnam instead of Vijayawada will also reduce the traffic congestion on Vijayawada railway station, which is beneficial to the passengers from West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts, Ravindra mentioned.
Pointing out its close proximity to the State capital, Amaravati which is slated to be a world class city, as well as to Telangana State, Kollu Ravindra urged the Union Railways Minister to accord approvals for the proposed railway line between Machilipatnam and Repalle.
The Union Railway Minister understood the importance of the railway line and assured to take steps to complete it at the earliest, Ravindra said. Accusing the previous YSRC government of ignoring the State’s development, Ravindra reiterated that CM N Chandrababu Naidu gave priority to the development of infrastructure facilities.
The Union Minister remarked that the Centre had identified benefits with the new rail lines in the coastal areas, and also mentioned about they would complete the rail line in the first phase, and also take linking Narasapuram to the same line in the next phase.