Secunderabad to Nagpur in 3 hours: Pact signed with Russia for 200 kmph trains

Hyderabad: Passengers can travel from Secunderabad to Nagpur in less than three hours when the 200 kmph trains, for which India signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia, start running. The rail distance between the two cities is 575 km. The superfast Rajdhani Express takes 7 hours and 50 minutes to cover the distance with an average speed of about 80 kmph and top speed of 130 kmph. Other fast trains take over 10 hours.

The MoU was signed at the ongoing BRICS meet at Goa. “The plan is to improve the railway tracks and strengthen them to allow trains to run at 200 kmph,” Railway Board member Ved Prakash told this correspondent over phone. Nagpur is the connecting point between southern and northern rail corridors.

Mr Prakash said the details of survey, project reports, cost and timeline would be announced later. SCR officials said the Secunderabad-Nagpur route was one of the main corridors connecting south India with the north. Every day over 130 trains operate on this sector.