UTTAM DEMANDS HYD-VIJ BULLET TRAIN

Hyderabad/New Delhi, March 12: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday demanded that the central government consider starting a high-speed or bullet train between Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

Speaking on the Railway Budget in Lok Sabha today, Uttam Kumar Reddy reminded the Centre that an assurance was given to Telangana State under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of establishing a Railway Coach Factory at Qazipet. However, he said the promise has remained unfulfilled for the last six years. While asking the railway minister to clarify the Centre’s stand on the issue, he said for some reason if the government does not want to invest in the project due to shortfall of funds, then it might look at Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. He said that AP Reorganisation Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament and therefore, it was essential for the Centre to honour the promises made in the Act so as to create employment and also to honour the sanctity of the Act.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the railway route between Hyderabad, Telangana’s capital, and Vijayawada, from the British time, takes the travel time of nearly six hours. Therefore, he said that the Railway Ministry should consider laying up a new line from Chityal to Jaggayapet to run a high speed train from Hyderabad to Vijayawada. He siad Hyderabad-Vijayawada was one of the busiest routes in India. Therefore, he said any high speed train between Hyderabad and Vijayawada on a shorter route would be financially viable.—INN