Indian Railways sanctions upgrades for key South Central, SW routes

The Ministry of Railways has approved upgrades for the electric traction systems on the Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal and Bengaluru-Tumkur sections to enhance rail capacity, improve efficiency, and decongest these key southern Indian routes.

In a major boost towards enhancing rail capacity and operational efficiency, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the upgradation of the electric traction system on the Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal section of South Central Railway and Bengaluru-Tumkur section of South Western Railway.

Bengaluru-Tumkur Section Upgrade

Bengaluru-Tumkur section is one of the busiest railway corridors. As per the release, the upgradation project involves the conversion of the existing 1x25 kV electric traction system to a 2x25 kV electric traction system over a stretch of 120 Track Kilometres (TKM). The total cost of the project is Rs 162.57 crore, as per the release.

The Bengaluru-Tumakuru section forms part of the strategically important Highly Utilised Network (HUN) Route-10, which connects major economic and industrial centres along the Pune-Hubballi-Chikjajur-Birur-Tumkur-Bengaluru-Salem-Kanniyakumari corridor. "The project will contribute to decongesting a key rail route serving the Bengaluru metropolitan region and adjoining districts, while also supporting smoother movement of passenger and freight traffic across Karnataka and southern India," the Ministry of Railways press release said.

Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal Section Upgrade

On the other hand, the Ministry has approved Rs 285.01 crore for the Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal section of South Central Railway. As per the release, the Indian Railways will upgrade the existing 1x25 kV electric traction system to a modern 2x25 kV electric traction system. "The introduction of the 2x25 kV system will provide a more stable and efficient power supply for train operations, making rail services smoother, safer and more reliable," the release said.

Furthermore, the Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal section is one of the major High-Density Network (HDN) routes, falling on the Dharmavaram-Dhone-Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal-Mudkhed-Indore-Ajmer rail corridor, which carries significant passenger and freight traffic.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the project will enhance train operations on the route upon completion by improving efficiency and increasing capacity. It will facilitate smoother freight movement, boosting the speed and volume of goods transportation, while also supporting trade, industry, and economic growth in the region. (ANI)

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