Train travel between AP, Telangana cities to get faster

With the South Central Railway conducting trials for improving speed in major routes, train travel is likely to soon become faster between major cities in the Telugu states. Speed trials are in progress in certain routes which are part of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) or Golden Diagonal (GD) sections of South Central Railway (SCR). Tracks and other infrastructure are being strengthened to increase the maximum speed on these routes from 110-120 kilometres per hour to 130 kmph.

The Golden Quadrilateral routes under the jurisdiction of the SCR, extending over Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, include the following routes: Balharshah-Kazipet-Vijayawada-Gudur, Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam and Wadi-Gooty-Renigunta sections.

Currently, the maximum permissible speed along the Balharshah-Kazipet-Vijayawada and Kazipet-Secunderabad sections is 120 kmph, while it is 110 kmph between the Vijayawada-Gudur and Wadi-Gooty-Renigunta sections. According to a press release from SCR, these routes are now having their speed upgraded to a maximum of 130 kmph. This will bring down the travel time between Secunderabad and Vijayawada by a considerable amount.

Speed Trials in progress for
upgradation of #speed .In the routes of Golden Quadrilateral/Golden Diagonal sections of South Central Railway @RailMinIndia pic.twitter.com/2Rj7Tx0klX

— South Central Railway (@SCRailwayIndia) October 7, 2020

Trials are being conducted along these routes by Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow. They are being done as part of the initial step to measure the track parameters and to check the signalling aspect, traction distribution equipment, as well as locomotive and coach fitness.

Upgradation works, including installation of heavier rails, improvement of curves, gradients and other components in these routes are under progress, the press release said. Once the trials and infrastructure-enhancement works are completed, necessary permissions will be sought from the Commissioner Railway Safety, Secunderabad Circle, to raise the maximum permissible speed along these routes.

Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway, said that enhancing the speed in these important sections of the Golden Quadrilateral routes will improve the operation of passenger and freight trains. He also said that once the running time of passenger services is reduced, it will pave the way for running more trains.