Doubling of track: Faster rail services by 2016

GULBARGA: The people from Guntakal of Andhra Pradesh to Daund of Maharashtra would get faster rail services within half a decade as the Railway Department has commenced the process of doubling of railway line and railway line traction electrification on this route. In an exclusive interview, divisional general manager of the Central Railway Manoj Jain told Express that tenders have been floated for doubling the railway line from Gulbarga to Hotgi over a stretch of 98 km length in the first phase; Mohol to Kem stations a stretch of 63 km in the second phase, and from Kem to Bhigvan stations 64 km long route in the third phase. He said tenders have been invited for Pune-Wadi-Guntakal traction electrification. In the first phase, Wadi-Gulbarga and Pune-Bhigvan a 137 km rail track, Wadi-Raichur for the length of 110 km and Raichur-Guntakal for the length of 121 km [total 368] km would be covered. In the second phase Solapur-Gulbarga of 113 km length and Solapur-Bhigvan of 160 km (total 273 km) would be covered.  Mahajan said that the 225 km route between Daund-Gulbarga which has a single line would be doubled. Over 500 bridges, 29  stations two railway over bridges/railway under bridges, 50 level crossings and 1/100 ruling gradient  would be covered under this process. The proposed speed of the trains after this work would be 140 km per hour. Estimated cost of track-doubling of Daund-Gulbarga-Wadi would be Rs 700 crore and estimated cost of traction electrification of Pune-Daund Wadi-Guntakal section would be Rs 800 crore, he said. The Railway Department has set a target of completing both these works by 2015-16, he said.