The railway line diverges from the Kazipet-Vijayawada main line at Erupalayam, connecting Amaravati and joining the Vijayawada-Guntur line at Namburu. This will enhance access to key religious sites, including Amaralingeswara Swamy temple
Published Oct 24, 2024 | 8:19 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 24, 2024 | 8:19 PM
Central cabinet clears crucial railway connectivity to Amaravati at a cost of Rs. 2,245 crore(Supplied)
The Central cabinet has cleared the crucial railway link to Amaravati.
The 57 km long railway line will cost ₹2,245 crore. Cost of construction, land acquisition etc will be shared between Centre and State governments.
After Amaravati gets the rail connectivity, anyone from major cities including Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata could reach the futuristic city being developed on the banks of the Krishna river.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for clearing the rail link, wanted the 3.2 km long railway bridge that has to be built across Krishan river, to be an iconic bridge.
The railway line branches off from Kazipet-Vijayawada main line at Erupalayam to connect Amaravati, from there it would join Vijayawada-Guntur main line at Namburu, close to Guntur which is a major railway junction. The railway line will improve access to religious places such as Amaralingeswara Swamy temple, Amaravati Stupa, Dhyana Buddha statue and Undavalli caves.
Also, it will facilitate better connectivity to Machilipatnam, Krishnapatnam and Kakinada sea ports. The new railway line is expected to be completed within four years.
Chandrababu Naidu, who participated virtually with Ashwini Vaishnaw, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ram Mohan Naidu and BJP state president D Purandeswari, said he was thankful to the centre for clearing the project on a priority basis. He said:”I am thanking the central government and Narendra Modi. In a very short time you have taken the proposal to the cabinet and cleared it.”
The Railway minister said that a multi-model logistics hub will come up at Paritala with a cargo terminal. He said that 73 railway stations in Andhra Pradesh were being developed. He also indicated three semi-high speed railway lines will be laid from Amaravati to Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. These railway lines will facilitate movement of trains with a speed reaching upto 160 kmph.
The Chief Minister, speaking to media persons later, said that he would invite the Prime Minister to lay the foundation stone for the railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters in November or December. He said about 72,000 crore railway works were under implementation in the state.
The Chief Minister, thanking Central Minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari for clearing the expansion of Ranasthalam-Srikakulam road into a four lane highway, said that there were 199 road projects under various stages of implementation in the state. He said the DPR for Amaravati ORR was also being prepared.
The Chief Minister, referring to the letter-war between former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister Sharmila, said that it was unfortunate that “we are being dragged” into their personal rivalry. Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to avoid giving a share of their father’s property to his sister. “Where did Jagan Mohan Reddy earn lakhs of crores of rupees worth assets. What was the value of his property in 2004 and now?” he asked.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
