VIJAYAWADA: The Rs 2,047-crore Errupalem–Amaravati–Namburu new railway line project (57 km) has taken centrestage as the flagship anchor of Indian Railways’ broad-gauge expansion in central Andhra Pradesh.
Designed to integrate the State’s greenfield capital directly into the national railway network, the strategic line will also function as an essential bypass corridor, relieving heavy traffic congestion at the saturated Vijayawada junction.
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the official figures during the monsoon session of Parliament, outlining a massive statewide infrastructure drive. As of April 2026, the Railway Ministry has sanctioned 42 major projects in Andhra Pradesh—comprising 12 new lines and 30 doubling or multi-tracking works—covering a total length of 4,768 km with an aggregate sanctioned cost of Rs 77,855 crore. The total expenditure on these projects reached Rs 27,851 crore by March 2026, with 1,465 km of track already commissioned.
Significant progress has been made across key passenger and freight corridors running through Guntur and Prakasam districts. A key section of the Vijayawada–Gudur 3rd line project spanning 280 km between Gudur and Peddavadlapudi has already been commissioned.
Additionally, the Railway Ministry has sanctioned a Final Location Survey (FLS) to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 87 km Ongole–Donakonda new line.
The DPR has also been completed for the 782 km Balharshah–Tenali–Ongole–Gudur 4th line to expand trunk route capacity. Overall, track commissioning speed in Andhra Pradesh has doubled, rising from 73 km per year during 2009–14 to 147 km per year between 2014 and 2026.
While annual budgetary outlays for rail infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh surged more than 11-fold—from an average of Rs 886 crore per year during 2009–14 to Rs 10,134 crore for FY 2026–27—the Railway Minister emphasised that setting exact completion timelines remains difficult.
A prime example of the State-level land acquisition constraints involves the Rs 3,407-crore Nadikudi–Srikalahasti New Line Project (309 km), taken up on a joint cost-sharing basis with the State government.
While an expenditure of Rs 2,384 crore has been incurred and key sections like New Piduguralla–Savalyapuram (46 km) and Gundlakamma–Kanigiri (79 km) are commissioned, land acquisition remains incomplete.
