Train speed enhanced on Godavari Arch Bridge

Vijayawada (NTR District): The South Central Railway has decided to enhance the maximum permissible speed on Godavari Arch Bridge between Godavari-Kovvur stations to 50 kmph.

The speed limit was up to 30 kmph from 2015 and was recently enhanced to 40 kmph during April 2022. Speed trials have been conducted successfully duly enhancing the speed limit to 50 kmph. The trains running towards Visakhapatnam direction are being operated on this bridge, which is for a length of 2.9 km.

The stretch between Godavari-Kovvur covering a distance of five km is located in Golden Diagonal (Grand Trunk) route of Gudur-Duvvada section, which acts like a gateway towards eastern and north-east region particularly from the southern States. The arch bridge located with a length of 2.9 km across River Godavari is crucial as the passenger and freight trains are operated with maximum capacity and hence the section is oversaturated. Keeping in view the location of this bridge, speed restriction was earlier imposed at 30 kmph from 2015.

However, recently the Zone took up and completed deep screening activity with Ballast Cleaning Machines (BCM) along with replacement of sleepers. This resulted in enhancing the maximum speed limit to 40 kmph in April, 2022. Now, after conducting speed trials, maximum permissible speed for passenger trains and loaded goods trains has been further enhanced to 50 kmph and the trains are being run successfully.

General Manager In-charge Arun Kumar Jain appreciated the engineering team who put their dedicated efforts in completing this important work. He opined that the enhancement of speed will ease the congestion in train operations and also helps in smooth operation of train services. This will also improve punctuality of train services besides comfortable travel experience to rail users.