Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the Bhadrachalam-Malkan Giri railway line. The Union Cabinet gave the green light to this long-awaited project, which is preliminarily estimated to cost Rs 4,190 crore.
The new railway line will stretch 173 km, connecting Bhadrachalam town to the main rail network. Initially, the Bhadrachalam-Malkangiri line was planned to be 147.5 km, but it was later extended by 26.1 km, reaching from Bhadrachalam to Pandurangapuram.
Currently, the Jaipur-Malkangiri railway line is under construction. The newly proposed Bhadrachalam-Malkangiri line will create a new corridor between South Central Railway (Pandurangapuram) and East Coast Railway (Junaghad).
This project will introduce railway facilities to several areas that previously lacked them, fostering social and economic development. It will enhance connectivity between Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, promoting growth in agriculture, commerce, education, tourism, and healthcare.
Additionally, the railway line will establish an alternative trade route with South Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and other parts of South India. It will facilitate the transportation of products from mines and factories in Odisha and Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh ports, cutting the distance by 140 km.
The new line will also reduce travel time for people traveling to Hyderabad and Vijayawada from Chhattisgarh, while providing direct connectivity from South and Central Odisha to these cities.
There is potential for developing multi-modal transport by linking the railway with National Waterway No: 5, currently under construction. This connection could attract large freight volumes via National Highway 326 for faster and more efficient handling.
The multi-modal transport capability of this railway project could efficiently manage cargo from Krishnapatnam, Machilipatnam, and Ramayapatnam ports in the Andhra Pradesh coastal region.
As of April 1st this year, a total of Rs 32,942 crore worth of 20 railway projects are in various stages in Telangana. Among these, seven new railway line projects, totaling 997 km, are estimated to cost Rs 16,355 crore, according to Kishan Reddy.
