AP CM Meets Railway Minister on State Rail Projects
Chief Minister Submits Railway Development Memorandum in New Delhi
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a detailed memorandum seeking completion of pending railway projects and approval of new connectivity proposals across the state. The Chief Minister thanked the Centre for announcing three high-speed rail corridors in the Union Budget that will pass through Andhra Pradesh.
The proposed corridors include Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, and Chennai–Bengaluru. The Chief Minister requested that the Bengaluru–Chennai high-speed corridor be aligned to connect Tirupati, citing its strategic and pilgrimage importance.
Key Requests on Railway Zone and Infrastructure
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The Chief Minister urged the Railway Ministry to issue a gazette notification to operationalise the South Coast Railway Zone from April 1. He emphasised that the early start of the zone would strengthen railway administration and improve infrastructure management within Andhra Pradesh.
The memorandum also sought the establishment of Greenfield Mega Coaching Terminals at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Amaravati. These facilities are expected to support growing passenger traffic and modernise maintenance systems.
Freight Corridors and Port Connectivity Proposals
The Chief Minister requested support for a dedicated Itarsi–Vijayawada freight corridor to improve north–south cargo movement. He also proposed the East Coast Freight Corridor between Kharagpur and Chennai via Vijayawada, aimed at linking major ports in Andhra Pradesh and enhancing logistics efficiency.
To boost agricultural exports, the Chief Minister asked for the allocation of empty refrigerated containers at 50 percent concessional rates for banana shipments from Tadipatri to Mumbai’s JNPT Port.
Rail Connectivity for Regional and Tribal Areas
The memorandum included proposals for approving new railway lines connecting Rayalaseema and the tribal regions. The Chief Minister also sought approval for high-speed connectivity between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, semi-high-speed connectivity between Vijayawada and Kurnool, and a high-speed link between Tirupati and Chittoor.
He further requested a new railway line from Hyderabad to Markapuram via Srisailam to improve connectivity to the Srisailam pilgrimage centre.
New Services and Station Infrastructure
The Chief Minister urged the Railway Ministry to introduce a Vijayawada–Bengaluru Vande Bharat service via Tirupati. He also sought the stoppage of several express trains at Kuppam and proposed the establishment of a railway coach maintenance terminal there.
The Railway Ministry is yet to announce a timeline for decisions on the submitted proposals.
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