Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asked the South Central Railway (SCR) to fast track plans for a new railway line running parallel to the proposed 12 lane greenfield highway that will connect Bharat Future City near Hyderabad to Bandar Port in Andhra Pradesh via Amaravati. The move aims to align railway infrastructure with road development to meet long-term transport needs and support regional growth.
Key Proposals and What the Chief Minister Wants
- The highway rail integration is being considered in view of other major corridors, including the Hyderabad Chennai and Hyderabad Bengaluru routes. These are expected to provide enhanced connectivity and reduce travel times.
- Part of the vision includes a 300 km industrial corridor, with both highway and rail alignment, covering 1.5 km on either side of the road.
- He also emphasized the importance of aligning ongoing railway projects like the Regional Ring Rail around Hyderabad (about 362 km), the Vikarabad Krishna new line, and the Gadwal Dornakal line.
- The Chief Minister assured the SCR and other railway authorities that the Telangana government would cooperate fully in land acquisition and funding for these developments. He urged that the alignments be planned to minimize cost while ensuring the infrastructure serves future demand.
Why This Matters
- Strategic Connectivity: Telangana does not have a sea port of its own. The Future City-to-Bandar Port road-rail link is intended to address this by improving freight transport, export potential, and reducing logistics costs.
- Industrial Growth and Job Creation: With industrial corridors and airports already being discussed and planned, this combined infrastructure fosters greater investment opportunities.
- Rail Road Integration: By aligning rail lines alongside greenfield road corridors, transport efficiency, passenger connectivity, and freight movement are expected to improve. This is especially relevant for rapidly developing urban and semi-urban areas.
Current Status & Next Steps
- The state government has already prepared alignment proposals for the highway; now it is pushing for matching railway alignment and approvals.
- A review meeting was recently held where state officials and SCR representatives discussed how these projects can be coordinated.
- Permission from the Centre and Central agencies, as well as alignment surveys and cost-minimization plans, are among the immediate tasks ahead.
