Kothapalli-Manoharabad rly line to be operationalised by 2027

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that in the event of disruptions or accidents on the Secunderabad-Kazipet railway line, the Kothapalli-Manoharabad railway line will serve as an alternative route to New Delhi, further enhancing connectivity. After visiting the ongoing works of Karimnagar Railway station and other railway projects in his parliament segment on Friday, he said that he reviewed the progress of the Kothapalli-Manoharabad railway line, which has long been a dream of the people in the former Karimnagar and Medak districts.

On July 21, 2016, the Central government approved the construction of the 151.36 km Kothapalli-Manoharabad railway line. Initially, the project was estimated to cost Rs 1,160.48 crore, but significant delays occurred for various reasons. "The issue was taken to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. They responded positively. They emphasised that no new projects would be approved until the pending ones are completed and committed to allocating all necessary funds for ongoing projects."

Sanjay Kumar said that to complete the Kothapalli-Manoharabad railway line, the revised estimate indicates a total expenditure of Rs 2,780.78 crore. So far, Rs 1,444.17 crore has been spent. According to the agreement, the state government is required to contribute one-third of the total project cost. Out of the total 151.36 km of the project, construction work for 76.135 km has been completed so far, leaving over 75 km pending.

In the 2024-25 budget, Rs 350 crore has been sanctioned, of which Rs 262.93 crore have already been spent. “Our target is to complete more than 30 km of railway construction in the Siddipet and Sircilla districts by September of this year”, he said.

As per the agreement, the state government is responsible for acquiring the land needed for railway line construction. However, significant delays in land acquisition have hindered progress. Currently, 90 per cent of these land acquisition issues have been resolved. Out of the total 1,145.627 hectares (approximately 2,830 acres) of land required, 199 acres remain to be acquired. Additionally, 37.5 acres (15.211 hectares) of forest land in the Rajanna Sircilla district needs to be diverted, and we expect this issue to be resolved soon. The aim is to complete 31.06 km of construction work from Vemulawada to Kothapalli by December of this year and another 10.7 km in the Sircilla and Vemulawada areas by March 2026.

The tender process for the Siddipet-Sircilla section (from 76.13 km to 106.8 km) has been completed, and construction is underway. “We are targeting to begin new broad gauge operations between Siddipet and Sircilla by December. There are plans to develop Kothapalli station into a junction station with freight handling facilities. Tenders have been awarded, and work is progressing, with operations expected to begin by March 2025”, he added.

The Sircilla-Vemulawada section (from 106.8 km to 111.5 km) is currently in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) stage. Furthermore, we are planning the construction of a critical bridge over the Maneru River, which is expected to ensure uninterrupted train travel on this route. The EPC tender process for this bridge is set to begin by the end of this month. Its completion will significantly enhance connectivity and ease of train operations.

“Our target is to complete the construction of the Kothapalli-Manoharabad railway line and make it operational by 2027”, Bandi Sanjay said. Once this line is operational, the backward areas in Telangana's Medak, Siddipet, Rajanna Sircilla, and Karimnagar districts will experience significant development. The people of these regions will gain access to rail travel. He also inspected the ongoing modernisation works of the Karimnagar Railway station.