HYDERABAD: Among the projects approved by the Centre on Wednesday is the Mudkhed-Dhone doubling project (417.88 km) at an estimated cost of Rs 4,686.09 crore. The decision will give a major fillip to rail infra in Telangana by smoothening train operations and reducing congestion.
The proposed project will increase the existing line capacity of the section and improve punctuality as well as wagon turnaround time. The project also paves the way for introducing new trains into the section, thereby strengthening connectivity between the northern and western parts of the country with the southern region.
“Doubling of the Mudkhed-Medchal-Mahbubnagar-Dhone section (417.88 km) will ease traffic congestion between Balharshah-Kazipet-Secunderabad and Kazipet-Vijayawada as goods traffic bound to North-South can be routed via the new double line section,” a senior railways official said.
Once the doubling works are completed, the line will be an alternative coal and steel route for Balharshah- Ramagundam-Secunderabad-Wadi-Guntakal and is expected to decongest the existing busy route and enhance rail traffic between southern regions and northern regions of India.
Districts in Telangana covered under this project are Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy and Jogulamba-Gadwal. The Mudkhed-Dhone section connects the northern and western parts of the country with the southern region.
Over the years, there has been a gradual increase in both freight and passenger traffic, due to steadily increasing demand. The line capacity utilisation of the Mudkhed-Dhone section is 167 per cent leading to the detention of both passenger and goods trains in this critical section. Thus, doubling this section will aid in easing the saturation of this critical section.
Guntur-Bibinagar line doubling approved
The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs approved the project of doubling the 239km railway line between Guntur and Bibinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 2,853.23 crore. This project will generate direct employment for about 75 lakh mandays during construction.
The Guntur-Bibinagar section connects southern and eastern parts of India including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Orissa to central and western parts of India, which consists of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It is the shortest route from Secunderabad to Guntur and Vijayawada and doubling of this section improves the mobility between these junctions.
The Guntur-Bibinagar section is an alternate route between Secunderabad and Vijayawada avoiding the highly congested and stressed route through Kazipet, Warangal and Khammam. The line capacity utilisation of this section is 148.25 per cent, and passengers, as well as goods trains, are suffering due to detention in this section. Over the years, freight and passenger traffic from southern and eastern parts of India to central and western parts of the country have been increasing.