VIJAYAWADA: The Ministry of Railways has announced progress on the long-pending demand for a direct railway line between Machilipatnam and Repalle in Andhra Pradesh.
The project, which has been sought by residents of Diviseema and Avanigadda for decades, is now moving forward with surveys sanctioned to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR). This was disclosed by Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha in writing to a query by Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry.
Presently, the two towns are connected through Vijayawada Junction. The recently completed doubling of the Machilipatnam–Gudivada–Vijayawada section is expected to enhance connectivity to the upcoming Machilipatnam port.
However, the proposed 45.3 km direct line between Machilipatnam and Repalle would reduce travel distance by 55 km and save nearly one and a half hours of journey time. It would also enhance the connectivity of the hinterland of the undivided Guntur district with the Machilipatnam port.
To strengthen rail infrastructure in the region, several other surveys have been sanctioned.
These include the Machilipatnam–Narsapur new line (74 km), Repalle–Bapatla new line (46 km), Gudur–Vijayawada fourth line (293 km), and a Vijayawada bypass line between Indupalli, Duggirala (49 km).
The Ministry clarified that project sanctioning requires consultations with State governments and approvals from NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance, making timelines dependent on these clearances.
Railway investments in AP have seen a rise recently. Budgetary allocation has increased from `886 crore per year during 2009–2014 (including Telangana) to `9,417 crore in 2025–26. Track commissioning has also accelerated, with 1,582 km of new lines laid between 2014–25 compared to 363 km in 2009–14.
As of April 2025, 39 projects covering 4,498 km worth `70,231 crore have been sanctioned in AP. Of this, 1,179 km has already been commissioned, with `28,039 crore spent.
Recently completed projects include the Vijayawada–Gudivada–Bhimavaram–Narsapur and Gudivada–Machilipatnam doubling (221 km, `4,688 crore), the Guntur–Tenali doubling (24 km, `205 crore), and the Obulavaripalle–Krishnapatnam new line (113 km, `2,300 crore).
The Ministry emphasised that completion timelines depend on multiple factors such as land acquisition, forest clearance, and law and order at project sites. These challenges often affect both the cost and duration of railway projects.