South Central Railway (SCR) has finished the third-line works and electrification between Hasanparthi Road and Uppal for a distance of 12.7 km as part of the Kazipet-Balharshah electrification project. This brings the total completed distance under this project to 131.7 km, including the previously finished Raghavapuram-Mandamarri section. The Kazipet-Balharshah section now has a total of 164 km with a third line and electrification.
The Kazipet-Balharshah section is an important rail link connecting the Northern and Southern regions of the country. It falls in both Telangana and Maharashtra states and has been facing congestion due to increased passenger and freight traffic. To alleviate this congestion, the tripling and electrification works were sanctioned in 2015-16 for a distance of 202 km (159 km in Telangana and 43 km in Maharashtra) with an estimated cost of Rs 2,063 crore. Several sections, including Hasanparthi – Uppal for 12.7 km, have already been completed.
The completion of the Kazipet-Balharshah tripling project will help ease congestion and improve the handling of freight and passenger trains. Arun Kumar Jain, the general manager of SCR, highlighted the positive impact of this project on the socio-economic development of the region.
