VIJAYAWADA: As part of the Vijayawada-Gudur tripling project, the South Central Railway on Monday announced that the third line between Manubolu and Gudur railway stations, covering a stretch of 7.4km, has been completed and commissioned.
Commissioning of the new line, which falls under the Tirupati district, will help decongest the existing saturated routes and ease train operations.
Following the tripling of this section, a continuous stretch of 127 km between Gudur and Singarayakonda has got a third-line facility along with electrification.
Situated on the Grand Trunk route, along the Coastal region of Andhra Pradesh, the section between Vijayawada and Gudur on SCR plays a vital role in connecting the northern and eastern parts of the country with the southern states. The tripling project was announced as the Vijayawada-Gudur route had become severely congested due to the steady rise in both passenger and freight trains. Sanctioned in 2015-16 at an estimated cost of `3,246 crore, works covering 288 km are being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
SCR general manager Arun Kumar Jain lauded officials of the Vijayawada Division and RVNL for completing the tripling and electrification works between Manubolu and Gudur sections.
He stated that third-line works between Vijayawada and Gudur are being taken up on a priority basis. Stating that works are underway in all the stretches simultaneously, Jain asserted that once the project is completed, congestion on the busy route will be eased and the efficiency of train operations will be improved.
171-km section electrified
The sections between Ulavapadu and Manubolu, covering 120 km, and the stretch between Chirala and Karavadi have been completed. With the completion of Manubolu and Gudur, 171 km of section stands electrified