Tirupati: Electrification works taken up on 228-km Dharmavaram-Pakala railway line have entered the last leg, as South Central Railways (SCR) has completed energising the tracks between Pakala and Kalikiri in Chittoor district.
Dharmavaram-Pakala section, which was converted into broad gauge in 2011, is one of the major rail routes under Guntakal Railway Division. Various trains, including Secunderabad-Tirupati, Amravati-Tirupati and Seven Hills superfast expresses, Guntakal-Tirupati and Mumbai CSMT-Nagercoil expresses, Kacheguda-Madurai weekly, Dharmavaram-Narasapur and Kadirideverapalli-Tirupati trains are operated on this route.
It had been a long-standing demand of rail users here to electrify the section and improve rail connectivity from Chittoor district, especially from Tirupati to other districts. Against this backdrop and as part of union government’s initiative to make railways a green mode of transport, SCR took up electrification works between Dharmavaram and Pakala.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle SCR CPRO Ch. Rakesh said electrification of this single line section was sanctioned in 2017–18 at a sanctioned cost of ₹ 253 crore. In the first phase, electrification of the 67 km long Dharmavaram-Kadiri section was completed and commissioned. Recently, electrification was completed in sections between Pakala-Kalikiri (55.8 km) and Kadiri-Tummanamgutta (53.5 km).
The SCR official said Commissioner Railway Safety has recently inspected and issued certificates for works completed in sections between Pakala-Kalikiri and Kadiri-Tummanamgutta, which totals a combined length of 109.3 route kilometres electrification.
“On commissioning of these two lines, total 176-km electrification will be completed in this project. In the current year budget, ₹ 131 crore have been allotted for this environment-friendly project. Now, works are progressing fast in the left-over section between Kalikiri Tummanamgutta”, the CPRO added.
According to SCR, electrification of this railway line will significantly strengthen rail infrastructure in the state. It will provide seamless movement of freight and passenger traffic on rails besides reducing en route detentions. It will benefit Railways by reducing fuel expenditure, promoting energy saving and decreasing carbon footprint.
Sources said installation of overhead power lines and pole erection works in left-over section between Kalikiri-Tummanamgutta are going at a fast pace. Once electrification works in this section are completed, SCR will take up safety and speed tests on the line before commissioning the Dharmavaram-Pakala railway line.
