The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rs. 85 crore for gauge conversion work

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Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rs. 85 crore for gauge conversion work

Staff Reporter

Work progressing at brisk pace on the Pakala-Dharmavaram section

- Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

Heartening development: Gauge conversion work in progress on a bridge near Pakala Railway Station in Chittoor district on Tuesday, which is part of the Pakala-Dharmavaram section of the South Central Railway.

TIRUPATI: The Centre has announced a grant of Rs.85 crore for the current fiscal towards gauge conversion of the Pakala-Dharmavaram section, which is a matter of cheer for the backward Chittoor and Anantapur districts.

The total length of the project is 227.42 km, which is sought to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs.459 crore, of which only Rs.20.21 crore has been spent till March this year.

For the financial year 2007-08, the South Central Railway has picked up the stretch between Pakala and Madanapalle stations for gauge conversion, covering a distance of 83.14 km and passing through 21 stations (exclusive of the two).

Station facilities

Fifteen stations -- Damalacheruvu, Pulicherla, Piler, Kalikiri, Vayalpad, Madanapalle Road, Kurabalakota, Mulakalacharuvu, Tanakallu, Nallachervu, Kadiri, Kalasamudram, Mudigubba and Chinkunrapalle -- are sought to be made crossing stations, while Valivedu, Mangalampeta, Itlamvaripalli, Battulapuram, Nallacharuvu East and Ramanujampalli will be halt stations. Work is on along the route at a brisk pace, though at various stages, be it earthwork, construction of bridges, sleeper-laying or girder-erection work.

Station buildings are also coming up at Kalikiri, Vayalpad, Pileru and Madanapalle road stations.

The Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) of SCR, A.K.Gupta, announced that the first phase up to Madanapalle will be ready by the end of the year.

The completion of the stretch up to Dharmavaram will not only provide a reliable alternative route linking the North-bound trains originating from the Southern states, but also bring down the travel distance by around 30 km.

Chief Engineer (Pakala-Dharmavaram section) Sudhanshu Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager (Guntakal) S.Manohar and Chief Public Relations Officer Panabaka Krishnaiah were among those present.

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