Hyderabad : South Central Railway has laid special focus on enhancing the section capacity on the grand trunk route. In this direction, SCR has successfully completed the entire tripling project along with electrification between Kazipet – Balharshah for a distance of 203 Kms, with a cost of around Rs 3,000 Crores. The final stretch of tripling and electrification between Asifabad – Sirpur Kaghaznagar for 11 Kms along with important bridge across Bibra River was completed on 22nd July, 2026 marking the completion of the project. This enables seamless operations of train services running through the grand trunk route.
The Kazipet – Balharshah section is a vital rail link connecting the Northern and Southern regions of the country, besides also connecting several other Coal and Cement sidings situated in the route. As a result, the rail link between Kazipet and Balharshah has been witnessing continuous growth of both Passenger and Freight traffic, leading to oversaturation of this section. To decongest this vital section, initially the tripling works between Raghavapuram – Mandamarri for a distance of 33 Kms were completed in the year 2016. To further ease the traffic, tripling and electrification works on the remaining stretch of Kazipet – Balharshah section, for a distance of 203 Kms (Telangana-159 Kms and Maharashtra-44 Kms) were sanctioned in the year 2015-16.
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Now, the tripling and electrification of the entire stretch has been completed and commissioned except for a small stretch near Balharshah station falling under Central Railway jurisdiction. This involves connectivity to the Balharshah Yard with newly laid third line, for which the works are in progress. The sections between Kazipet – Balharshah were completed in different phases starting from the year 2020 until date. The entire project now stands completed giving boost to the rail infrastructure in Telangana and Maharashtra.
Benefits
This project will significantly strengthen Rail transport infrastructure in Telangana & Maharashtra.
Facilitates seamless movement of freight and passenger traffic across grand trunk route connecting northern & southern parts of the country.
The new third line will increase mobility and serve public aspirations with regard to rail transportation.
Helps in reducing the congestion and improves freight transportation especially commodities like Coal and Cement from nearby sidings and raw materials to thermal power plants and factories.
Helps in enhancing the passenger train services.
The electrification works will help in saving energy and reducing fuel expenditure besides reducing carbon foot print.
Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager, South Central Railway, commended the officers and staff of the Construction, Engineering, Signal and Telecommunication, Electrical, Operating and other departments for their dedicated efforts in successfully completing the Kazipet–Balharshah tripling project along with electrification. The General Manager stated that the completion of this important project will help meet the growing transportation needs in the region and marks a significant milestone in further strengthening the Rail network between the Northern and Southern regions of the country.
