• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

SCR to give priority to Gooti-Renigunta track doubling

J. Nanda Gopal

HYDERABAD, Feb. 21

FROM a production-driven organisation, the Indian Railways has transformed itself into a market-driven one by introducing on-line information service about freight movement, computerisation of reservations, three-tier air-conditioned coaches, train and p assenger enquiry system and self-printing ticket machines, according to Mr C. Ramakrishna, Additional General Manager of South Central Railway (SCR).

But it has to go a long way to be fully market-oriented as the funds allotted to different projects are insufficient to ensure early completion.

There have been pressures from various sides for higher allocation of funds, but that is unlikely to happen in view of their meagre availability. Modernisation of the monolithic railway system is an expensive affair and hard decisions are needed to raise resources, manpower productivity and trim expenditure.

In an interview to Business Line, Mr Ramakrishna spoke on the development of ongoing and new projects announced in the last Railway Budget with reference to Andhra Pradesh and the achievements of SCR in reaching targets in freight and passenger movement .

Progress of projects: The projects are to be divided into three segments - gauge conversion, doubling of track and introduction of new trains.

In gauge conversion, the Guntur-Guntakal-Kallur section assumes importance. Of this, the Pendekallu-Gooti project stretching over 29 km and estimated to cost Rs 42.15 crore provides for the laying of a new line.

A sum of Rs 10.50 crore allotted in the Budget has been spent. Work on it is at an advanced stage and expected to be completed by the middle of next fiscal.

This line will lessen the running time between Secunderabad and Bangalore by an hour-and-a-half and can facilitate more freight operations.

Another major project sanctioned long ago is the inter-State Mudkhed-Adilabad line stretching over 162 kms. The project, estimated to cost Rs 158 crore, is to be completed under the Build, Operate, Lease and Transfer (BOLT) venture. Shakti Infrastructure and Investment Corporation has been assigned the job of executing the project.

The project is getting delayed for want of funds as the agency is yet to fulfill the requirements of HUDCO, which appraised the expenditure at Rs 100 crore.

The Secunderabad-Mudkhed-Janakampet-Bodhan project extending over 269 km is estimated to cost Rs 287 crore. A total of Rs 47 crore has been spent, including the Rs 20 crore Budget grant.

Work on the Mudkhed-Nizamabad section has been taken up and the contract for the construction of a bridge across the Godavari has been finalised.

For the 104 km Katpadi-Pakala-Tirupati line estimated to cost Rs 168 crore, Rs 12 crore has been allotted. It has been fully utilised.

The Renigunta-Katpadi project extending over 104 km is expected to herald a shorter route to the South and Rs 40 crore was already spent on this. A sum of Rs 12 crore has been allotted in the last Budget for the project.

With regard to the doubling of track, the 83-km single line electrification of Gudur-Renigunta project is estimated to cost Rs 139 crore. Earlier, Rs 12.56 crore was spent on it and the Budget has provided Rs 17 crore for the work.

Of the 14 major bridges on the line, tenders have been awarded for six. When completed, goods movement can be diverted from the Gudur-Chennai main line to the new line easing traffic congestion and paving the way for faster and increased tonnage. In view of the importance, Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned additionally for the project.

Two blocks forming part of the project are the Gudur-Kondagunta and the Yerpedu-Rachagunneri sections and they are expected to be completed by May-June this year.

A proposal to double the 10-km Renigunta-Tirupati line, as part of the Gudur-Renigunta project, has been sent to the Railway Board and it will be completed next year.

The doubling of the 191-km Gooti-Renigunta line on the Chennai-Mumbai route is being projected as a priority project in view of the vast commercial potential it holds.

A power house at Buddhanur and four cement plants on the route are coming up. There are huge deposits of limestone and barytes in the area.

The Jindal-Vijayanagar steel plant is nearer to this route. Coal supplies from Talcher, Singareni and abroad have to reach the plant via this track.

The 41-km Balapalli-Pullampet project forms part of the 191-km Gooti-Renigunta line and is estimated to cost Rs 48 crore. However, the Budget grant is Rs 1 crore.

About new trains, the Tirupati-Nagercoil, Kakinada-Visakhapatnam-Nagarsol, Peddapalli-Karimnagar trains and Prashanti Express assume importance. The Bangalore-Puttaparti passenger service was introduced by Southern Railway.

SCR has signed an MoU with the State Government for multi-modal transport in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and their suburbs to improve the rail-road services, to ease road traffic congestion and check pollution.

The project, costing Rs 70 crore, is divided into two phases and it involves construction of eight stations besides strengthening the existing facilities. It will be taken up during the next fiscal on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis.

Gross earnings: For the Rs 3,592 crore target fixed for the financial year, Rs 2,967 crore was earned till January.

For the passenger portion, for a target of Rs 791 crore, Rs 823 crore was realised till last month.

As much as 46.34 million tonnes goods were transported till January against the target of 56 million tonnes. On the passenger side, 25 million more were transported during the 10 months from April last year registering an increase of 17 per cent.

Mr Ramakrishna was hopeful of achieving the targets before the end of March as freight movement would reach the peak during the remaining period of the current fiscal.