Survey for ₹1.90L crore Bengaluru-Amaravati corridor completed: Railway officials inform CM Naidu

Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday called for a major upgrade of Andhra Pradesh’s rail infrastructure to global standards, with a sharp focus on port connectivity and faster movement of horticulture and industrial produce.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on railway projects, he asked officials to ensure that Andhra Pradesh becomes a model state in the execution of rail projects.

Focus on ports, hinterland connectivity

The Chief Minister stressed the need to strengthen rail links between the state’s ports and the hinterlands of neighbouring states. He said improved connectivity would facilitate rail-based cargo movement from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and other regions to Andhra Pradesh ports.

He directed railway officials to expedite mainline connectivity to key ports at Moolapeta, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam, and Krishnapatnam.

Boost for horticulture, industry

Highlighting that Andhra Pradesh produces around 22.5 million metric tonnes of horticulture output annually, the Chief Minister said better rail connectivity is crucial to transport produce efficiently to markets across the country.

He also noted that the Tirupati–Renigunta belt is fast emerging as an industrial hub and said linking it to major railway routes would significantly reduce logistics costs and transit time for industrial goods.

New lines and faster execution

The Chief Minister suggested initiating work on four new railway lines between Ichchapuram and Tada and asked officials to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to complete them within three years.

He also called for increased rail connectivity between Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra to ensure balanced regional development.

Amaravati connectivity a priority

Naidu instructed officials to fast-track the Errupalem–Namburu new railway line to strengthen rail access to the capital city, Amaravati. He proposed comprehensive plans to connect the Amaravati core capital with major cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, and sought speedy progress on the Kadapa–Bengaluru broad-gauge line.

High-speed rail proposal

The Chief Minister proposed a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Amaravati via Chittoor and Tirupati. Railway officials informed him that surveys for the 864-kilometre corridor have been completed, with the project estimated to cost ₹1.90 lakh crore.

Station development, Pushkarams preparations

Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the Chief Minister directed that 73 identified railway stations in the state be developed by 2027. He also instructed officials to fully modernise the Rajamahendravaram railway station ahead of the upcoming Godavari Pushkarams.

Railway officials said Vijayawada railway station is being redeveloped under the PPP mode, with works planned in view of the 2028 Krishna Pushkarams.

Special trains and project status

Officials informed the Chief Minister that arrangements are underway to run 1,012 additional special trains and deploy 2,370 railway coaches to handle the festival and pilgrim rush.

They added that Andhra Pradesh currently has 39 new railway line projects under implementation, covering 2,318 kilometres at an investment of ₹34,310 crore, and that 201 kilometres of new lines are expected to be completed during the current year.