Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma has emphasised the need to expedite all pending railway works, particularly focusing on the Narsapur–Kotipalli and Narsapur–Machilipatnam railway lines.
Addressing a review meeting with senior railway officials at the Divisional Railway Office in Vijayawada on Friday, he sought a detailed report on the causes for delays, and urged immediate steps to ensure their speedy completion.
The Minister discussed the progress of key railway projects in Andhra Pradesh with DRM Mohit Sonakia and other top officials.
Mr. Varma also reviewed the status of ongoing works under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at Bhimavaram, Narsapur, and Tadepalligudem railway stations. He discussed proposals for modern passenger amenities and sought additional budgetary allocations to enhance facilities.
Highlighting the commercial importance of Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district, the Minister urged authorities to provide halts for express trains, including Vande Bharat, at the station. He also requested halts for the Sheshadri Express at Attili to improve passenger convenience.
Further, he proposed making the Narsapur–Arunachalam Express a regular service and introducing a new Narsapur–Varanasi Express, which would benefit passengers from the Narsapur and Konaseema regions.
Mr. Varma assured that the Central Government would extend full support for the development of the Vijayawada Division and swift completion of all pending projects.
Mr. Mohit Sonakia responded positively, promising to address the issues raised during the meeting at the earliest.
Senior officials, including P.E. Edwin (Additional DRM), Simon (Chief Project Manager, Gati Shakti), Prashanth Kumar (Senior Divisional Commercial Manager), Surya Prakash (Senior Divisional Engineer), P. Suresh Babu (Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer), and BJP Minority Morcha State president Sheikh Baji attended the meeting.
Published – October 24, 2025 08:44 pm IST
