The South Central Railway (SCR) commenced the doubling of the Hindupur-Penukonda railway line (37 km) along with electrification of the route from Monday, and trains on this route have either been cancelled, diverted or partially cancelled, according to a release.
Doubling works will enable operation of more trains between Karnataka and Telangana. Sixteen trains have been cancelled, six partially cancelled and 14 diverted temporarily in view of the works. In the present financial year to date, a length of 303 km has been electrified, 74 km of track doubled, and 22 km of new lines commissioned.
For the past decade, the line capacity between Yelahanka and Penukonda was constrained leading to limitations in mobility. In order to enhance the line capacity in this section, the doubling work of the section was sanctioned in 2015-16.
The total estimated cost of the project is ₹1,104 crore. Already, 82 km of the route has been commissioned with a double line, the latest section commissioned being Devarapalli to Hindupur (10.7 km).
The remaining stretch for which work began at 4.20 p.m. on Monday (between Hindupur and Penukonda - 37 km) is targeted to be commissioned by the end of March, said Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger-Services) Anup Dayanand Sadhu at a press conference.