2 new trains for AP, MMTS-II ignored

Hyderabad, July 3: As expected, the state got another raw deal in the Railway Budget 2009. Andhra Pradesh got only two new trains — the Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad-Mumbai Superfast and the Bilaspur-Hyderabad-Tiruvanantapuram Superfast.

The Secunderabad-Patna Express and the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Garib Rath, which currently run twice a week, will run daily.

The Railways will also consider new tracks on three routes — Medak-Akkannapet, Vishnupuram-Vinukonda and Puttaparti-Chikballapur.

Multi-functional complexes will be constructed at Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam stations. The railway stations at Secunderabad and Tirupati will be modernised on par with international standards. Doubling of railway lines in routes such as Secunderabad-Mahbubnagar and Bibinagar-Nallapadu will be taken up.

However, the railway ministry has ignored the state’s demand for allocation of funds for the phase II of MMTS and new railway lines such as Kadapa-Bengaluru, Bhadrachalam-Kovvuru, Nadikudi-Srikalahasti and Ramagundam-Manguru.

All these projects remained only on papers though the railway ministry had earlier agreed in principle to take them up.

The Nandyal-Yerraguntla, Kotipalli-Narsapur, Kakinda-Pithapuram, Macherla-Nalgonda, Dharmavaram-Pakala gauge conversion projects, which require funds of Rs 1,400 crore, were neglected in the 2009-10 Railway Budget as well. The proposal for the circular Vijayawada-Tenali-Guntur line was also rejected as was the demand for a night passenger train between Vijayawada and Hyderabad.

The Union railway minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, has also rejected the demand for the merger of the Visakhapatnam division with South Central Railway (SCR).

The state government had sought four exclusive trains to Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru from Hyderabad. But this proposal was promptly rejected by the railway ministry.

According to railway officials, the South Central Railway has been allocated a budgetary outlay of Rs 3,092.90 crores.

The railways will spend Rs 185 crores on new railway lines, Rs 131 crores on gauge conversion works, Rs 25 crores on doubling of railway lines and Rs 118.53 crores on passenger amenities.

Another Rs 500 crores on track renewal works, Rs 120.96 crores for traffic facilities like yard remodeling will be spent.

An ambulance facility will be stationed at Hyderabad. Integrated security team will be created at Secunderabad and Tirupati. Medical College and Nursing Colleges will also be set up at Hyderabad and Secunderabad respectively.