South Central Railway, on Tuesday, announced the completion of electrification works between Mahabubnagar and Gadwal for a distance of 72.7 km, taking the overall electrification done in the entire zone to 385 km this financial year starting April, which is the highest in the entire Indian Railway network.
The section between Mahabubnagar and Gadwal stations has been electrified as part of Dhone – Kurnool City – Mahabubnagar; Secunderabad – Mudkhed – Manmad electrification project, sanctioned in 2015-16 for distance of 783 km at an estimated cost of ₹900 crore.
The portion between Secunderabad and Mahabubnagar has already been electrified as part of a separate project.
With the section between Gadwal and Raichur already being electrified, both passenger and freight trains can now seamlessly travel from Hyderabad to Raichur and beyond with electric traction. The electrification works have been proceeding at a fast pace in the current financial year.
The sections commissioned in the current financial year include: Washim – Hingoli Deccan for 46.3 km, Kalikiri –Tummanamgutta for 49.9 km, Khanapur – Latur Road for 98.7 km, Manoharabad – Kamareddi for 67.3 km, Aravalli – Nidadavolu for 32.8 km, Bhavanapalem – Sattupalli for 14.3 km, Gooty Bypass line for 3.2 km and Mahabubnagar – Gadwal for 72.7 km.
The electrification of rail lines helps in providing seamless movement of trains by avoiding change in traction power, reduces enroute detention of both the coaching and freight trains and improves the average speed of trains.
It has the potential to introduce more trains in these sections due to the enhancement of sectional capacity. It is also an environment-friendly means of powering the trains, while saving fuel costs at the same time, informed general manager Arun Kumar Jain, who congratulated the staff, said a press release.
Electrification works are being taken up in various sections simultaneously and are progressing rapidly towards 100% electrification of existing broad gauge lines across its rail network, added the release.