Akividu-Bhimavaram double line inaugurated.

Train No. 17482 Tirupati - Bilaspur was the first train to pass through the newly commissioned double line between Akividu- Bhimavaram Town for a distance of 16 km recently.

The Commissioner, Rail Safety, has recently given clearance for the line allowing the train movement to commence in this key stretch of Gudivada - Bhimavaram section in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh, often referred to as ‘Rice Bowl of India’.

South Central Railway (SCR) has taken up the doubling and electrification project between Vijayawada-Gudivada- Bhimavaram-Narsapur; Gudivada-Machilipatnam; Bhimavaram-Nidadavolu for a distance of 221 km in total and this was sanctioned in 2011-12 at a cost of ₹1,428.70 crore with 50% cost to be borne by the State government.

Rail Vikas Nigam took up construction and work was divided into five phases and commenced simultaneously. Phase-1: Vijayawada - Moturu; Phase-2: Moturu - Bhimavaram Town; Phase-3: Bhimavaram Town - Nidadavolu; Phase-4: Gudivada - Machilipatnam and Phase-5: Bhimavaram - Narsapur.

While doubling works between Moturu - Akividu (40 km) was completed in March, 2019, the stretch between Akividu -Bhimavaram Town has been completed now and electrification work is on. Doubling of Vijayawada-Gudivada- Bhimavaram- Narsapur; Gudivada-Machilipatnam; Bhimavaram-Nidadavolu will ease the congestion on the single line in the important coastal belt area to facilitate running more number of trains and helps in socio economic growth of the region, informed General Manager Gajanan Mallya on Monday.

The section also acts as an alternative route for the main line between Vijayawada -Nidadavolu section of Vijayawada - Visakhapatnam trunk route, he pointed out and appreciated the teams involved in the work and called for maintenance of the same tempo for rest of the project to ease traffic congestion.

THE HINDU