High Speed Rail Corridor to Connect Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in Just 4.5 Hours
The proposed Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam and Kurnool-Vijayawada high-speed rail corridors aim to build new lines that could allow trains to travel at a maximum speed of 220 km/h.
There are two routes under consideration for this high-speed rail corridor. The first route connects Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam via Vijayawada, and the second connects Kurnool to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
The states of Telugu are already familiar with the speeds of Vande Bharat Express trains. Besides these, a preliminary survey connecting the main cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has been initiated for the high-speed rail project, which is nearing its final stage.
The preliminary engineering and traffic study (PET) survey is expected to be completed by March, based on which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared by appointing another consultancy, as stated by the South-Central Railway.
If everything goes as planned, high-speed rail services could be operational in the Telugu states within five to six years, making it possible to travel from Shamshabad to Visakhapatnam in just four and a half hours.
The prestigious project is estimated by the railway department to cost over Rs. 20,000 crores. The PET survey meticulously examined where bridges and other constructions need to be built and conducted a thorough study on the engineering aspects of the selected routes.
The survey also took into account the current passenger traffic and demand for the future high-speed trains on these proposed routes. The officials have mentioned that the DPR survey could take more than 8 months to complete.
There is also a discussion on whether to use solid ground tracks or elevated corridors for this high-speed train, with a preference emerging for elevated corridors. If the elevated corridor option is finalized, there is a possibility that the budget may increase.