Kurnool-Tornagallu Railway Line Proposal Gains Traction
The proposed route would shorten travel distance benefiting residents of Kurnool district and provide easier access to the Ballari-Tornagallu region: Reports
KURNOOL: The long-pending proposal to establish a railway line from Kurnool via Yemmiganur, Adoni and Mantralayam to Tornagallu in Karnataka has taken a significant step forward.
Initially, plans were drawn up to construct a new line from Kurnool to Mantralayam Road station.
Railway officials conducted two surveys, and in their 2019 report, they estimated that the 101.10 km stretch would cost ₹1,784.68 crore. However, the report concluded that the line would not generate sufficient revenue to cover costs and would require additional expenditure for maintenance, leading to the project being shelved.
Now, a fresh proposal is under consideration connecting Kurnool to Tornagallu via Yemmiganur and Adoni. Officials believe this route would be more viable as Tornagallu houses the Jindal Steel plant and currently, travellers from western regions must go via Guntakal and Ballari to reach it.
The proposed route would shorten travel distance benefiting residents of Kurnool district and provide easier access to the Ballari-Tornagallu region.
Additionally, the new line could ease congestion on the busy Tornagallu-Guntakal section. It would also serve passengers travelling from Karnataka towards Mantralayam. In the past, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had written to the railway minister requesting a survey. Recently, Yemmiganur MLA B.V. Jaya Nagaswara Reddy and Kurnool MP Bastipati Nagaraju renewed the appeal, which has now received approval from the railway minister for further action.