Akanapet-Medak rail link to be ready by March.

When the 17.2 km Akanapet-Medak railway line is completed as per schedule in March early next year by the South Central Railway (SCR) it will provide the long awaited rail link between Hyderabad and Medak in Telangana.

The project has been sanctioned in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs. 117.72 crore and the cost has now ballooned to Rs. 250 crore. The railways has spent up to Rs. 169 crore so far and the TS government has offered to pick up half the cost and provide land free of cost for laying the line, said senior railway officials recently.

"Laying of this new line involves construction of three new railway stations, three bridges, one road over bridge, 35 minor bridges and 15 road under bridges. Apart from rail linking the capital with Medak, once commissioned, it will also provide connectivity to three more important towns — Akanapet, Lakshmapur and Shamanapur.

Akanapet, which is located between Secunderabad and Mudkhed section, could become a junction station with one main line and an existing one loop line plus one more loop line proposed to connect the Medak line. Two high level platforms with a foot over bridge connecting them is underway. Ramayampet, a key mandal town, is just two kilometres away and is famous for manufacture of brass, silverware, wooden furniture and statues.

Lakshmapur is another crossing station with one main line and two loop lines where one high level and two level platforms are to be built along with a new station building. Third station will be Shamanapur which will be getting a new station building, waiting hall and a low level platform.

Medak terminal station itself will get a new station building with one high level platform and one rail level goods platform for convenience of passengers and freight loading/unloading. Senior railway officials insisted that the project has been accorded top priority by their Minister Piyush Goyal and is being directly monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.

THE HINDU