The 54.1-km new railway line between Kothagudem (Bhadradri district) and Sathupalli (Khammam district) constructed by the South Central Railway (SCR) with the association of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) for eco-friendly transportation of coal was inaugurated on Saturday by flagging off the first coal-laden rake.
It will help eco-friendly dispatch of about 10 million tonnes of coal mined in JCR and Kishtapuram opencast mines near Sathupalli every year. Director (Operations) of SCCL S. Chandrasekhar flagged off the first rake on the new line along with other officials of the coal company and SCR. He stated that the new railway line was constructed at a cost of ₹927.94 crore with SCCL contributing ₹618.55 crore and the remaining ₹309.39 crore by SCR.
The Singareni official thanked the District Collectors of Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Khammam, Revenue Department, farmers and people and the SCR for speedy completion of the railway line. In the absence of a railway line between Sathupally and Kothagudem, about 25,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes of coal mined from JVR and Kishtapuram OC mines was being transported by lorries to the coal handling plant at Rudrampur near Kothagudem for its onward journey (dispatch) by rail.
Coal produced in the two mines is being utilised in the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station of TS-Genco at Palvancha and other thermal power plants in industries in other States. Transportation of coal by lorries was causing environmental problems with dust and air pollution and the new railway line has been constructed to address the issue.
The SCCL officials stated that the work on the railway line was taken up in February 2020 and has been completed in little over two years. About 355 hectares land was acquired for the construction of railway line with the coal company releasing funds from time to time in advance.
The 54.1 km railway lines has 102 bridges including the huge road over bridge on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and a rail over bridge across Sitarama project canal near Sathupalli. In all, 44 minor bridges, 41 rail under bridges and 7 rail over bridges were constructed across canals, streams, rivulets and roads to villages.
While the new line ends at Lankapalli near Sathupalli from Rudrampur near Kothagudem, Singareni Collieries has constructed on its own another 10.17 km rail line from Lankapalli to the nearby coal handling plant (CHP), about 3.2 km, along with lay-by lines at the CHP yard with a cost of ₹180 crore. The modern CHP has been constructed with a cost of ₹470 crore.
(eom)
