South Central Railway (SCR) has electrified 64 route km between the newly laid Devarkadra-Krishna rail line, according to an official release on Friday.
It was commissioned recently as part of Mahabubnagar-Munirabad new line project, and DEMU passenger train services were launched on this new section last month. It will be the most accessible route to many important cities such as Raichur, Guntakal, Bellary, Hubli and Goa from Hyderabad.
Iron ore and other bulk commodities such as cement and steel, which are currently being moved on other routes, can now be transported on this route. The project will help expand the rail network between Hyderabad and the mining belt of Karnataka, benefitting both passenger and goods traffic, according to the release.
Work is under way on the balance portion between Munirabad and Raichur by South Western Railway. Once the entire project is completed, it will reduce the distance between Secunderabad and Hubli, Goa and beyond by over 100 km. The operation of electric trains will help reduce carbon emission as well.
It will also help the passengers by providing seamless movement of trains by avoiding change in traction power, reducing enroute detention of trains and improving the average speed, said General Manager Arun Kumar Jain in the release.
It may be noted that SCR had completed electrification of the existing rail network in Telangana region, except for the newly laid lines.
