Vijayawada:In a major step towards modernising railway infrastructure, the Vijayawada Division has upgraded 1,287.764 track-kilometres of lines to support speeds of up to 130km per hour.
This upgrade has boosted the division’s capacity, with approximately 58 per cent of its tracks now equipped to facilitate run of trains with the higher speed.
Additionally, 473.4km of branch line tracks, including the Nidadavolu–Bhimavaram–Narsapur–Gudivada–Machilipatnam and Kakinada Port–Samalkot sections, have been reworked to accommodate speeds of 110 km/h. As a result, a total of 1,761 track-km, or roughly 80 per cent of the tracks in the Vijayawada division, are now capable of supporting speeds of up to 110 km/h.
Vijayawada Division, which covers 1,070.83km of route and 2,228.35 track-km, has faced the difficult task of managing bad soil formations, requiring frequent cleaning of muck and deep screening of ballast.
“Despite these challenges, the division’s engineering team successfully enhanced track speeds on crucial routes, including the Gudur–Vijayawada–Duvvada Main Line and the Vijayawada–Kondapalli line, which are part of the Golden Quadrilateral and Golden Diagonal projects that are essential for both passenger and freight transport.
Senior divisional engineer Varun Babu stated that the upgrades were part of a comprehensive modernization plan. This included strengthening the tracks for stability and durability, implementing advanced signaling systems for safe and precise communication, and installing safety measures at vulnerable locations to mitigate risks.
DRM Narendra Patil announced plans to upgrade the Gudur–Vijayawada third line to 130 km/h speed. He highlighted the ongoing automatic block signaling works in the North and South sections. These improvements are expected to further enhance punctuality and safety, ensuring a better travel experience for passengers.
