PNS|Hyderabad
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the project of doubling of the Guntur-Bibinagar (239.00 km) on the South-Central Railway at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,853.23 crore proposed by the Ministry of Railways. Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager of the South-Central Railway, announced the doubling of the two projects – Guntur to Bibinagar and Mudkhed to Dhone, approved earlier by CCEA on Wednesday.
The section connects southern and eastern parts of India (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa etc) to central and western parts of India (Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra etc.). It is the shortest route from Secunderabad to Guntur or Vijayawada. Doubling of the section also improves mobility between Secunderabad and Guntur or Vijayawada.
Guntur-Bibinagar is an alternate route between Secunderabad and Vijayawada, helping commuters avoidhighly congested and stressed route via Kazipet, Warangal, and Khammam.
The line capacity utilization of Guntur-Bibinagar section is 148.25 percent and passenger as well as goods trains are suffering due to detention on this section. Over the years, freight as well as passenger traffic from southern and eastern parts of India to central and western parts of the India has been increasing. Doubling of this section will lead to easing of the section and facilitate meeting the demand of ever-increasing transportation needs of both our passenger and freight customers.
The project passes through Guntur and Palnadu Districts of Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda and Yadadadri-Bhuvanagiri Districts of Telangana. The total area of these Districts is 23,180.38 sq.km. The important towns, cities near to the project area are Hyderabad (30 km from Bibinagar), Nalgonda, Nakrekal, Narkatpalli, Bhuvanagiri, Chityal, Miryalguda, Huzurnagar, Dachepalli, Piduguralla, Satennapalli, Guntur and Vijayawada, which is 30 km from Guntur.
When it comes to the Mudkhed-Dhone (417.88km) section, the committee approved the project at an estimated cost of Rs 4,686.09 crore proposed by Ministry of Railways.
This section 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. It will be an alternative coal and steel route for Balharshah-Ramagundam-Secunderabad-Wadi-Guntakal and will enhance the traffic between southern and northern regions of India.
It also connects northern and western parts of the country with the southern region. Over the years, there has been gradual increase in the number of both freight and passenger traffic due to increasing demand.
The line capacity utilization of the Mudkhed-Dhone section is 167 percent, leading to detention of both passenger and goods in this critical section. Thus, doubling of this section will aid in easing the saturation of this critical section.
The project passes through Nanded district of Maharashtra, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Medchal, Malkajgiri, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy and Jogulamba Gadwal districts of Telangana and Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The project will generate direct employment for about 75 lakh mandays during construction. It will also create multitasking workforce in the region, thereby enhancing their employment/self-employment opportunities. Further, it will also boost the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ through skill development of people.
