Title - 2 new trains chug out of Kurnool station

Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Jayasuryaprakasa Reddy flagged off two passenger trains- Kurnool-Secunderabad Intercity express and Kurnool-Nandyal DEMU passenger here on Tuesday.State Minister for Minor Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh, MP S.P.Y. Reddy, General Manager, South Central Railway, B.P. Pandey, MLC M. Sudhakar Babu, MLAs Labbi Venkata Swamy and Muralikrishna were present.Addressing the function, Mr. Suryaprakasa Reddy said development of any region was interlinked with expansion of railways. The areas with well-connected rail transport witnessed rapid development.He said Jaffer Sharieff was the last Railway Minister from the south in 1996 and after that railway progress dented in the South due to various reasons. Every effort was being made to undo the injustice by rolling out railway projects with greater devotion.

‘Long cherished dream’

He described an inter-city express between Kurnool and Twin cities as long-cherished dream of residents of the city. Mr. Reddy said it took nine years for him to rename Kurnool Town as Kurnool city in the railway records which required approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other departments.

He said doubling of railway line between Secunderbad and Guntakal, establishment of Midlife coach rehabilitation centre at a cost of Rs. 110 crore, escalators in station and two double deck trains were sanctioned for Kurnool.

Mr. Pandey said 25 new trains were added in the present budget while 51 trains were added in the last two years. He said the SCR was coordinating with the State government to acquire the land for establishment of coach rehabilitation centre.

Mr. Pandey said the unmanned level-crossings would be done away with completely by 2016 which were the source of accidents.

He said the railway station at Kurnool was being developed at a cost of Rs 3 crores and the second entry from the western side was being created.

Mr. Venkatesh said Kurnool would witness rapid development with pumping of funds by the Central and State governments amounting to Rs. 300 crore.

Mr. S.P.Y. Reddy asked the people to strengthen the hands of elected representatives and the Congress party to render their best.

‘Doubling of Sec’bad-Guntakal line, Midlife coach rehabilitation centre, escalators sanctioned’

Unmanned level-crossings will be done away with completely by 2016, says SCR GM