Andhra Pradesh has big Rail Budget dreams

Hyderabad: With the Railway Budget scheduled to be presented after a day, expectations of the announcement of the new railway zone have surged again in AP.

Of the 12 originating trains announced from the zone during the previous Budget, only eight have been introduced so far, while out of the 14 passing trains, five are yet to be introduced.

The 2,411-km-route of new line projects, that were previously sanctioned, required Rs 11,605 crore for completion while 656 kms of sanctioned doubling, tripling and electrification need Rs 2,978 crore. 

A popular demand from Hyderabad is the completion of the MMTS Phase-II, which has not featured in the previous two Budgets.

“Within Telangana, about 1,700 kms of rail lines — Manuguru-Ramagundam, Kondapalli-Kotthagudem, Munirabad-Mahbubnagar, Akkannapet-Medak, Macherla-Nalgonda, Bhadrachelam Road-Kovvur and Sattupalli, Manoharabad-Kottapalli Raghavapuram-Mandamarri-Kazipet-Vijayawada 3rd — line are under progress currently,” said an official.

“Clearance of survey reports of the following are awaited: Gadwal-Macherla, Secunderabad- Mahbubnagar, Secunderabad-Zaaheerabad, Kacheguda-Chityal, Jagayyapet-Miryalguda, Hyderabad-Srisailam, Pagidipalli-Shankerpalli, Karimnagar-Hasanparthi, Moulali-Bhongir, Krishna-Vikarabad, Ghatchendur-Adilabad are awaiting clearance,” said Noor, divisional rail users consultative committee member. 

For the AP region, apart from the demand for a new zone, the announced Vijaywada-New Delhi-Vijaywada AC Express is also awaited.