Union Minister of Culture and Tourism and Development of the North East region, G Kishan Reddy, inaugurated the extension of three train services in the Andhra Pradesh region on Friday.
The extended train services are as follows: Train No. 22701/22702 Visakhapatnam – Guntur – Visakhapatnam Uday Express; Train No. 17225/17226 Narsapur – Hubballi – Narsapur Amravati Express, and Train No. 07284/07285 Nandyal – Renigunta – Nandyal Special train.
Simultaneously, ceremonies were conducted at Renigunta and Narsapur Railway stations to witness the inauguration in the presence of dignitaries and respective Divisional Railway officials.
Addressing the gathering, G Kishen Reddy highlighted the significance of the three inaugurated train services for the people of Andhra Pradesh. He said that the extension of Uday Express now provides convenient direct connectivity between Guntur and Visakhapatnam.
Reddy noted that these trains include both AC and non-AC coaches and feature convenient journey timings. Additionally, he pointed out that the Narsapur–Hubballi Express enhances travel options from coastal Andhra Pradesh to the Karnataka region.
“The Nandyal–Renigunta special train will facilitate pilgrim passengers in reaching the Lord Venkateshwara Temple at Tirumala, with stoppages at all stations in the Rayalaseema region,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Union Minister mentioned the rapid expansion of the railway network nationwide in recent years. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dedicated freight corridors have been established, and efforts towards achieving 100% electrification are underway.
Reddy highlighted the near-completion of electrification works in Andhra Pradesh, revealing that 32 Railway line projects, covering approximately 5074 track kilometres, are currently in progress in the state.
Turning attention to the ‘Vande Bharat’ trains, he mentioned that Andhra Pradesh has been equipped with Semi-High speed indigenous Vande Bharat trains, connecting Hyderabad – Vijayawada – Visakhapatnam; Hyderabad – Vijayawada – Tirupati; and Vijayawada – Chennai. City Mayor K. Manohar Naidu, M. Ramakrishnan, Divisional Railway Manager, Guntur, and other Railway officials were also in attendance.
Earlier in the day, District Collector M. Venugopal Reddy, SP Arif Hafeez, and other officials welcomed Kishan Reddy upon his arrival.
