Trial Run Of Manoharabad-Kothapalli Railway Line Successful
The Manoharabad-Kothapalli railway project spans 162 km and is estimated to cost ₹1,162 crore. Of this, ₹350 crore has been allocated, including ₹165 crore from the previous budget: Railway officials
KARIMNAGAR: The long-awaited railway line has finally reached Rajanna Sircilla district. A successful trial run was conducted a few days ago by railway officials, covering the stretch from Narsapur railway station on the outskirts of Siddipet to Mandapalli, passing through Peddakoduru, Chinnakodur, and Machapur villages.
The Manoharabad-Kothapalli railway project spans 162 km and is estimated to cost ₹1,162 crore. Of this, ₹350 crore has been allocated, including ₹165 crore from the previous budget. The Manoharabad-Siddipet section has already been completed, and trial runs are now being conducted on the Siddipet-Sircilla route. The line is expected to reach Jillella village in Thangallapally mandal soon, according to railway officials.
The original plan for the stretch from Jillella to Kothapalli was altered to avoid acquiring valuable land. Under the revised route, a new railway station will be built on the outskirts of Taduru village in Thangallapally mandal. The alignment also includes a railway bridge over the Manair river, crossing the Mid Manair backwaters, before moving through Nampalli village in Vemulawada urban mandal to reach the temple town of Vemulawada. The new alignment has significantly eased land acquisition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on August 7, 2016. The state government is responsible for acquiring 100 per cent of the land and bearing 33 per cent of the project cost. So far, 740 acres have been acquired across 17 villages, with ₹7.83 crore paid as compensation for 374 acres in Siddipet and Gajwel areas.
Land acquisition is almost complete in Sircilla, with only a small portion pending in Vemulawada. Meanwhile, trial runs have already begun in the neighbouring district, and residents of Rajanna Sircilla are eagerly waiting to hear the train’s horn in their region.
However, the construction of the railway bridge over the Manair river on the outskirts of Sircilla is expected to take considerable time. Trains can only proceed toward Vemulawada after the bridge is completed.
This new railway line is expected to transform the region by connecting the textile hub of Sircilla and the historic temple town of Vemulawada to the rest of the country. Currently dependent on road transport, these towns will gain improved connectivity, making pilgrimages to the Vemulawada Rajanna temple easier and boosting the local textile industry.
Meanwhile, residents are hopeful that Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar will take the initiative to secure the required funds to extend the line further to Karimnagar.