The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Railway Budget: time for public representatives to act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 11, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Railway Budget: time for public representatives to act

Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

Officials feel that MMTS can be extended up to Kazipet

Coach repair factory, upgradation of Kazipet railway junction urged
The junction generates Rs. 5 lakh per day for the Indian Railways

KAZIPET (WARANGAL DT.): This is time that MPs and other public representatives press the long pending demand for development of the district -- on railways front.

It is this time around that the Railway Budget preparations get under way and for public representatives to fight for inclusion of pending projects in the new budget proposals. There are several demands from the Warangal district pending for a long time. The major demands include setting up of a coach repair factory pending since the time of P.V Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister and upgradation of Kazipet railway junction to Kazipet division on a par with the South Central Railways.

The Kazipet railway station has not witnessed development in tune with the changing needs and increased passenger traffic. Except for the recent minor renovation works, a lot remains to be done.

Plea for more platforms

According to sources, the station needs four more platforms to accommodate the trains which are being stopped at the outer signal for want of space on the main platform.

There is also an urgent need for second Road Over Bridge (RoB) at Kazipet as the present was inadequate to cater to the increased traffic which is on the main road connecting Warangal and Hyderabad. The existing reservation counter too is insufficient and two more new counters are needed to clear the rush.

A senior official of the railways has pointed out that the MMTS being operated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad can be extended up to Kazipet. “In Mumbai, the MMTS trains are operated up to 200 km whereas the distance between Hyderabad and Kazipet is only 140 km,” he pointed out.

Kazipet is one of the important junctions on the Indian Railways’ network connecting north and south India. On an average about 20,000 passengers board or alight trains here earning the railways an average revenue of Rs. 5 lakh per day. “After the Bhagyanagar train at 5.30 p.m., there is no train passing through Kazipet till 11 p.m.,” an officer pointed out.

The newly established Kazipet town railway station needs to be developed into a full-fledged station raising sheds, toilets, lighting and other minimum passenger amenities.

This being the election year and the separate Telangana demand on the other, it is to be seen what the public representatives get for people from the Railway Budget.

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