Now, a rail route from Pandurangapuram to Odisha

Kothagudem: The long-awaited railway line for Rama devotees now seems like a dream coming true. As part of the Prime Minister’s ‘Gati Shakti Master Plan,’ a Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of a railway line from Pandurangapuram in Burgumphad Mandal of Bhadradri District to Malkangiri (Junagarh) in Odisha. Devotees travel from across the nation, as well as from the two Telugu states, to Bhadrachalam to visit the Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple. However, they had numerous problems for a considerable amount of time because there was no railway line.

As part of the approval, a total of Rs 3,592 crores will be spent on 173.61 km of work. With the development of this railway line that will pass through the states of Telangana, Andhra, and Odisha, the number of Rama devotees visiting Bhadradri is expected to rise significantly.

The railway line will travel through Koonavaram and Yetapaka mandals before arriving at Bhadrachalam from Pandurangapuram.

The railway line’s Final Location Survey (FLS) was approved and finished in September 2023. Although

it was anticipated that the government would announce the construction projects in this year’s budget, none was made.

Notably, the railway line is expected to greatly stimulate the business sectors of agriculture, trade, education, tourism, health care, and many more. Furthermore, ports serving Telangana and Odisha’s industries, (Kakinada) will be beneficial in closing the gap. It will also play a significant role in growing the amount of freight and passenger traffic.

For 35 years, people living in this region had been calling for the construction of a train line to Bhadrachalam.

It may be mentioned that former MPs put a lot of effort into advocating for a 14 km rise line in the past, but nothing came of it.

In addition, Palvoncha Mandal industrial area was close to the construction of Pandurangapuram railway station many years ago. However, there was no development for this station. Because there isn’t even a minimal road in this area, locals were left feeling hopeless.

The building of the new railway line will receive special funding from the Central government, which means that Pandurangapuram will become a railway project.

Moreover, plans for 170 km of new railways on the Malkandiri route in 2017–18 are believed to have been created. The Pandurangapuram line was recently joined as part of that. The Pandurangapuram railway project is expected to benefit not only the Bhadradri Kothagudem area but also the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, according to the Central government. The Railway Department estimates the Pandurangapuram Railway Project will cost Rs 7.383 crores; no timeline has been set for the project yet.