Passenger amenities will be given priority

Guntakal (Anantapur): Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain has stated that the emphasis of his ministry is more on improving passenger amenities in trains and Railway stations.

In the current 2018-19 financial year as much as 3,670 crores had been spent in Rayalaseema districts on laying of new railway lines, electrification of routes and on doubling of Railway lines. He participated in several developmental programmes here on Thursday.

Rajen Gohain inaugurated the modernised Guntakal Railway station which was upgraded at a cost of Rs.20 crore. The station has an area of 3000 sq metres. Modern amenities include a foot over bridge connecting all platforms.

The Railway Minister said that the cabinet committee on economic affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared electrification schemes of 13,000 km routes at a cost of Rs.12,134 crores for completion of electrification network by 2021-22.

The Guntur-Nallapadu section is the major route connecting Rayalaseema districts. The electrification route covers Gooty-Pendekallu a length of 426 km ensures seamless transport for both passenger and freight trains. The project costs Rs.432 crore.

The Minister also elaborated on the Guntakal-Kallur doubling project which is for a distance of 41 km. The line connects trains from Delhi, Mumbai, Secunderabad and Bengaluru. Works are on progress for over 2 years. The cost of the project is Rs.323 crores. Electrification project was also sanctioned involving a cost of Rs.33 crores.

The doubling works f Gulapalayamu-Khaderpet section involving a distance of 23 km was completed in September 2018. Its electrification works will be completed by the end of March 2019. Guntakal-Kallur electrification was completed in November 2018. Later, Rajen left to Bengaluru in a special train. Additional General Manager, South Central Railway, John Thomas also spoke on the occasion.