Telangana Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Konda Surekha and D. Seethakka with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav after submitting a memorandum at RGI Airport in Shamshabad on March 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A delegation of Congress Ministers and MPs called on Union Railway Minister in Hyderabad on Saturday (March 8, 2025) and urged the Union Government to create a new railway division at Kazipet and sanction of new railway lines for the State of Telangana.
The delegation comprising Ministers – Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Konda Surekha and D. Seethakka and MPs – Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, Kaidyam Kavya and Porike Balaram Naik met the Union Minister at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and submitted the memorandum listing out the requirements of the State.
The delegation while thanking the Centre for ongoing works on establishment of the railway manufacturing unit at Kazipet as per the promise in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act 2014 sought the a railway division at the same place.
Kazipet division
They reasoned that consequent to the creation of South Coast Railway zone at Visakhapatnam as headquarters, South Central Railway zone was left with only three divisions – Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Nanded while Guntakal, Vijayawada and Guntur were merged with the South Coastal Railway zone.
The Ministers said it is necessary to create the new division for effective railway network operation and maintenance and for providing better safety to passengers and goods. They said that Kazipet region which has more freight traffic in addition to traffic, if made into a division would have higher track kilometres and revenue than Guntur and Hyderabad divisions.
Vikarabad-Krishna line
This apart, the Ministers and the MPs suggested that a new Vikarabad-Krishna railway line connecting fast developing towns such as Kodangal, Parigi via Narayanpet and Makthal could be a boon for the people of backward south Telangana region. They also sought change in the proposed alignment of the Gadwal-Dornakal linewhich presently passes through thickly populated urban areas including Kusumanchi and Stambadri urban development authority, which have Buddhist tourist destinations. They wanted the new alignment to be taken via Vennaram, Mannegudem Abhaipalem, Maripeda and Mothe, which will provide better operational efficiency.
Regional Ring Rail
In tune with the Government’s focus on Regional Ring Road, the delegation urged the Union Government to sanction Regional Ring Rail which will promote economic unification between the urban and rural area.
Among other railway lines to improve connectivity, they sough 100 per cent railways assistance for Kalwakurthy-Macherla (120 km), Dornakal-Miryalaguda (97 km), line alongside greenfield highway between Dry Port (Medak) and Bandar Port (AP) (461 km) and Bhadrachalam-Pandurangapuram (16 km) lines.
Published – March 08, 2025 04:34 pm IST
