HYDERABAD: In welcome news for the railway passengers of the Telugu states, the Union government has approved the construction of two new superfast railway lines connecting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Railway authorities have been instructed to conduct the necessary surveys to enhance connectivity between these regions.
One of the proposed superfast railway lines will run between Shamshabad (Umdanagar Railway Station) and Visakhapatnam via Vijayawada. This line will prove highly beneficial as it will offer direct connectivity to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad for passengers travelling from different parts of Andhra Pradesh heading to the Middle East. This will be the first time that Umdanagar will have a direct superfast railway line.
The other new railway line will connect Visakhapatnam and Kurnool via Kacheguda. There has been a significant demand for the introduction of more trains towards Mahbubnagar and Kurnool. The Railway Board has granted approval for the necessary survey to strengthen connectivity between the two States with the construction of these two new superfast railway lines.
The Railway Board has communicated to the South Central Railway zone instructing them to conduct surveys for the first railway line between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in AP as well as between Shamshabad and Visakhapatnam.
A survey will also be carried out for the second railway line. The technical feasibility required for the implementation of the superfast railway project along these routes will be determined through these surveys. Once the surveys are completed, the project will move forward.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has held multiple meetings with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and submitted letters highlighting the benefits that these superfast railway lines will bring to the Telugu states.
Taking this into consideration, the Railway Board has recently decided to conduct surveys for the superfast railway lines on these two routes."The technical feasibility required to undertake the super-fast railway project on these routes will be determined through the survey. The survey will be completed in six months after which the project will be taken forward. Together, these two railway lines will account for a length of 942 km route (to travel at a maximum speed of 220 kmph)," according to a release by Minister Kishan’s office.