Nadikudi–Srikalahasthi rail line set to meet '25 deadline
Vijayawada: After over 15 years of anticipation, the Nadikudi–Srikalahasthi railway line — a long-cherished dream for upland regions in Palnadu, Prakasam, and Nellore districts — is inching closer to reality.
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The project, which was actually planned to complete by 2022 itself, got delayed due to the state govt's reluctance to contribute its share of funding. With cost overruns mounting, the railway ministry has decided to complete the project independently.
The South Central Railway (SCR) recently floated tenders for a new 30.3 km stretch between Kanigiri and Pamuru in Prakasam district, estimated at 391 crore. This section is expected to be completed by December 2025, paving the way for operational rollout.
The railway ministry had originally granted the project way back 2010 after the state govt (undivided AP) agreed to take 50 percent burden of the proposed cost Rs.2500 crore. However, the project got stalled after the state's bifurcation. The cash-strapped state requested the Centre to proceed alone, offering only to handle land acquisition. This left the railway authorities in limbo for years. Eventually, the ministry went ahead using central funds and completed the Nadikudi–Savalyapuram (near Vinukonda) segment (46 km), which links to the Guntur–Guntakal–Yaswanthpur (Bengaluru) main line.
The commissioner of railway safety has now cleared this line for operations — providing a logistical boost for Palnadu's cement industries eyeing smoother shipments to Karnataka.
Further, SCR has completed trial runs on the Savalyapuram–Kurichedu–Darsi stretch and is finalizing bridges and track-laying between Darsi and Pamuru. Over 40 bridges have been built, and gravel work has progressed up to Tiragaladinne in Pamuru mandal. Local authorities acquired nearly 2,000 acres across Kanigiri, Pamuru, Darsi, Marripudi, Podili, and Konakanamitla mandals and handed it over to railway officials.
"We've begun laying tracks from Podili through Kanigiri to Pamuru and expect to finish within the next four to six months," said a senior railway official.
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