I am overwhelmed with emotion as I have travelled on this newly commissioned route- Venkaiah

Kadapa: Vice President M.Venkaiah has inspected the railway line between Venkatachalam- of Nellore district and Obulavari Palli of Kadapa district on Saturday. Speaking the occasion Venkaiah Naidu said that he is very much delighted to visit the countries longest electrified tunnel between Cherlopalli- Raipur Railway station constructed in a Horseshoe design. He said this 6.7Km long tunnel constructed at a cost Rs 437crores. The tunnel opens viable rail connectivity between Krishnapatnam port-and its hinterland for goods services and facilities seamless freight transport.

While recalling his experience travelling by train through the tunnel the vice president said that he was overwhelmed with emotion as I have travelled on this newly commissioned Obulavari palle-Krishnapatnam line fulfilling my long-cherished childhood dream. "The completion of the longest electrified tunnel in record time has further enhanced my happiness. I am emotional because it passes through my native village and ancestral where I had spent my childhood. At that time nobody had even imagined that a train would be passing deep hillocks one day." Said.

The vice president said when he was minister this line was envisaged, planned, surveyed and sanctioned and finally completed when he was vice president.

Meanwhile, the new line covering a total length of 112 kilometres has been completed at a cost of around Rs 1993 crores with 9 stations along the route, 146 bridges 60 road under bridges and two tunnels (1KM, 6.7KM). Its salient feature is that it has no level crossing. This newly commissioned line of 122 KM reduces the travel time to 5hours as compared to the 10 hours earlier for goods train from Krishna patnam port to –Obulavari palli. It also reduces the distance by 72Km for the train coming from Gunthakal division to Krishna patnam and reduces traffic density in Obulavari palle-Renigunta-Gudur section. It will facilitate operating freight train on Obulavaripalle-Venkatachalam- Krishna patnam port while providing shortest path between Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Mumbai rail routes.