Hyderabad: South Central Railway (SCR) has placed special emphasis on the ongoing Guntur-Guntakal Doubling project, successfully commissioning over 60 km of different stretches in the current financial year.
Maintaining this momentum, the doubling of one more section between Malkapuram and Dhone, covering a distance of 11.2 km, has been completed and commissioned alongside electrification.
This particular section is situated in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. With the completion of the doubling of this section, there is now a continuous double-line facility, along with electrification, for a span of 105 km between Guntakal and Betamcherla, a SCR statement said on Wednesday.
The Guntur-Guntakal Section serves as a vital rail link connecting Guntur, the city of Andhra Pradesh, with the Rayalaseema region and beyond. Passing through Guntur, Prakasham, Palnadu, Nandyal, and Kurnool districts, the line connects hinterland areas.
The Guntur-Guntakal Doubling & Electrification Project was sanctioned in 2016–17, covering a distance of 401 km with an estimated cost of Rs 3887 crore, aiming to provide seamless transportation and alleviate congestion on this route.
So far, doubling & electrification between Nallapadu and Jaggambotla Krihsnapuram (174 km), Betamcherla – Malkapuram (25 km), and Dhone – Guntakal (71 km) have already been completed and commissioned. With this, a total of 270 km of this project have been completed and commissioned. Now, with the addition of another 11 km between Malkapuram and Dhone, a total of around 281 km stretch of doubling works with electrification have been accomplished on various stretches of Guntur – Guntakal.
Notably, the doubling between Malkapuram – Dhone traverses the North Dhone Reserve Forest and Ghat section with sharp curves, featuring 8 major bridges and 16 minor bridges. The Zone faced a significant challenge related to Resettlement & Rehabilitation, involving 86 private houses and 20 shops, to accommodate the doubling. Overcoming these challenges, the section between Malkapuram – Dhone has been completed in a record time of 2 months from the commencement of work.
With this achievement, the crucial doubling link and the continuous stretch between Betamcherla – Guntakal for 106 km in Guntakal Division are now fully doubled, enhancing mobility in the Guntur – Guntakal section. The works in the remaining sections of the project are progressing rapidly, aiming to bring more sections under double lines. Completion of doubling and electrification in these sections will not only decongest the route but also contribute to an increase in the average speed of trains.
Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager, SCR, commended the officials and staff of Construction Organisation & Guntakal Division for completing the work despite several challenges. He stated that once the entire project is completed, train operations towards eastern parts of the country like Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Howrah, and beyond from the Rayalaseema region zone can be handled more effectively.
