SCR Nears Completion Of 700-Km Third Line, Boosts Capacity Across Major Corridors
The zone achieved a total track addition of 194.57km, including new lines, doubling and tripling works: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: The South-Central Railway is nearing completion of the third line spanning nearly 700 km on the vital Gudur–Vijayawada–Kazipet–Balharshah corridor.
With work progressing for a few more stretches, this line would ensure seamless movement of trains across regions, significantly easing congestion and improving journey time for both passenger and freight services.
The remaining works are confined to small stretches between Peddavadlapudi–Krishna Canal (7km), Dornakal–Mahabubabad (20km) and Sirpur Khagaznagar–Asifabad (11km). Once completed, the enhanced corridor would streamline traffic flow along one of the busiest rail routes linking southern and northern parts of the country.
SCR, which serves as a major gateway for rail connectivity between the two regions, has been witnessing heavy saturation on major routes such as Gudur–Balharshah and Kazipet–Wadi via Secunderabad. In response, the zone has intensified infrastructure development during the 2025–26 financial year to decongest these high-density networks.
The zone achieved a total track addition of 194.57km, including new lines, doubling and tripling works. A 35.93km new line between Mallavaram and Kanigiri has been commissioned, bringing remote areas into the rail network and improving regional connectivity.
Doubling works covering 78.768km were completed across major sections, including Panyam–Nandyal (13.488km), Basar–Navipet (17km), and strategic bypass lines at Kazipet (21.46km), Wadi (22.70km) and Peddapalli (2.17km). The ‘Y’ connectivity at Tandur (1.95km) is expected to facilitate smoother freight movement and improve coaching operations on the Mumbai line.
Tripling of a stretch of 79.872km was carried out on critical segments such as Balharshah–Manikgarh, Rechni Road–Bellampalli, Bellampalli–Mandamarri, Motumari–Madhira, Mahabubabad–Nekkonda and Khammam–Dornakal, enhancing line capacity and operational efficiency, an SCR release said.
In addition, SCR completed electrification of 325 track km during the year, strengthening energy efficiency and sustainability.
Funds: The zone has secured a capital outlay of ₹13,026 crore for 2026–27, marking an 18.3 per cent increase over the previous year’s ₹11,012 crore. The allocation includes ₹1,315 crore for new lines, ₹5,083 crore for doubling, ₹1,908 crore for track renewals, ₹403 crore for traffic facilities and ₹683 crore for road safety works.
SCR general manager Sanjay Srivastava lauded the coordinated efforts of various departments and urged officials to maintain the momentum in accelerating infrastructure growth across the zone.