Visakhapatnam: Railway projects to pick up pace

Visakhapatnam: Divisional Railway Manager, Waltair, Anup Satpathy said once the doubling works are completed, Waltair division will secure top three spots in cargo handling.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, the DRM said that the division was allotted Rs 11.92 crore in last budget. With a focus to enhance the safety works and improve infrastructure facilities, the budget allotment plays a significant part for the projects to be completed in 2022-23. He stated that with the allocation of Rs.2, 208 crore, the ongoing doubling and new line works were given priority.

The projects like Jeypore - Malkangiri (130-km); Jeypore - Navarangpur (38-km); Naupada-Gunupur - new broad gauge line up to Theruvali (79.15-km), Vizianagaram - Kothavalasa - third line (34.7 km) will be developed.

He said an amount of Rs 11 crore was allocated for traffic facility works, including Gopalapatnam-Vizianagaram, provision of auto signaling, conversion of line 4 into longer loop with common loop status for python trains at Chipurupalli. Similarly, for road safety works such as road over/ under bridges, level crossings, an amount of Rs 17.74 crore has been allocated. A wagon POH workshop with a capacity of 200 at Vadlapudi in Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore will be completed soon, he added.

Senior divisional commercial manager Waltair AK Tripathi was also present at the conference.