Rail minister says project of Rs. 800 cr sanctioned for Visakhapatnam

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that several railway infrastructure projects in Visakhapatnam worth nearly Rs. 800 crore have been sanctioned this year.

The projects including the new railway line project of 3rd and 4th lines between Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatnam (15.3 km) sanctioned in April at a cost of Rs. 159.47 crore.

Replying to a query of BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao in Rajya Sabha on Friday, the Railway Minister said that a new railway line project of 3rd and 4h lines between Duvvada and Simhachalam North (20.543 km) sanctioned in the same month at a cost of Rs. 302.20 crore.

A new railway line project of 3rd and 4th lines between Vadlapudi and Gate Junction cabin including the Tie line between Gangavaram Port-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (12.04 km) sanctioned in the same month at a cost of Rs. 54.28 crore, besides work of rail flyover between Pendurti and Simhachalam North at Simhachalam (7.135 km) sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 183.65 crore.

The Minister stated that these projects were sanctioned to remove capacity constraints, reduce the detention of trains, and for catering future traffic growth in Visakhapatnam. Land Acquisition works for these projects have been taken up, he said.

MP GVL Narasimha Rao, who was recently nominated by Parliament as a Member of the Railway Users' Consultative Committee of East Coast Railways, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for massive financial allocations for Railway projects in Visakhapatnam and expressed hope that these projects would greatly improve the growth of railways in Visakhapatnam region.

ET