Guntur: Citizens are demanding better rail connectivity to capital district headquarter Guntur from all 13 districts of the AP and country capital and further train services to new capital Amaravati. MPs also started efforts for modernisation of Guntur railway station and starting of new train services to the state capital from New Delhi.
Guntur is a commercially important centre in the South Central Railway with two railway stations in the city, namely Guntur and New Guntur, but the Union government is showing bias to develop the railway station despite earning good revenue.
Guntur and Mangalagiri are the important railway stations for connectivity to the new capital Amara-vati. The proposal of metro rail connectivity to Amaravati was refused. Hence, the railway department sent a proposal about starting circular train connectivity to Amaravati.
Guntur railway station is the biggest in the district with seven platforms and Amaravati is 38 km from this railway station. The availability of two railway stations is very useful to fulfil the demand of trains in view of the new capital establishment.
Formulated in 2003, Guntur railway division is earning Rs 10 crore revenue per annum due to passing of 200 express, passenger and goods trains every day. According to the railway department nearly 25,000 commuters travel between Guntur and Vijayawada for job and business purposes and it would be doubled in the future due to shifting of government employees from Hyderabad to the new capital.
Guntur Chamber of Commerce president A. Anjaneyulu said that since Guntur is famous for chilli, paddy, tobacco, cotton, limestone, cement and automobile businesses he demanded that the government start new trains originating from Guntur in view of new capital Amaravati.
Entrepreneur N. Gopalam said that industrial zone was proposed in Guntur, Sattenapalli, Mangalagiri and Nizampatnam in the Amaravati master plan. So, the industrial activity will increase largely in future.
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