Not possible to run passenger trains till November: Guntakal DRM Alok Tiwari

Guntakal DRM Alok Tiwari said it would be difficult to run passenger trains even by November in the wake of the covid epidemic. On Monday, he spoke to the media through the Google Meet app and informed about the various railway development works going on in the division. He said the target was to complete the electrification of 123 km rail line between Erraguntla-Nandyala and 227 km between Dharmavaram-Pakala by 2021. He said that Gutti-Dharmavaram 30 km double track will be completed this financial year. The state-of-the-art electronic interlocking signal system has been completed and made available in the bouquet yard at a cost of about Rs. 15 crore.

He also said that the train was traveling at a speed of 130 kmph between Gutti-Renugunta as part of Mission Raftar. The speed trial run was conducted by COCR to test the track quality and signal quality of 23 bridges along the track. He also said that track strengthening works between Gutti-Wadi were being expedited and trains would run at a speed of 130 kmph on this route by this December. With the permission of the District Collector, Guntakallu Railway Divisional Hospital has been set up as a Covid Care Center to provide better services to the patients.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 6780 persons tested positive for coronavirus taking the tally to 2,96,609 while as many as 83 people have died from coronavirus taking the death toll to 2732. During the last 24 hours, 13 people from Prakasam, 10 from East Godavari, 8 in Chittoor, 7 each in Guntur and Kadapa, 6 each in West Godavari and Srikakulam, 5 each in Anantapur, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, Vizianagaram and 3 in Krishna and two in Nellore districts respectively.