Vijayawada, February 18: South Central Railway (SCR) General Manager M S Jayanth has expressed the hope that more funds will be allotted to the division in the coming Railway Budget.
The General Manager chaired a meeting organised with MPs of the region to discuss pending projects as this year’s Railway Budget is scheduled to be presented in the Parliament on February 24.
Speaking on the occasion, the General Manager said the Railway Ministry may accept the proposal made by Chief Minister K Rosaiah to bear 50 per cent of the cost of construction of road-over-bridges at several places in the State. He said the Vijayawada railway station would be modernised at a cost of Rs 22 crore and platforms 8, 9 and 10 would be developed with Rs 5 crore.
Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, who has not been participating in the official programmes since December 10 last year after he had submitted his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker, has sent his suggestions to the General Manager.
The Vijayawada MP demanded a tunnel connecting all platforms of the Vijayawada railway station and a daytime non-stop train to Hyderabad.
He suggested toilet locking systems in superfast and express trains, extension of interlocking system to all platforms at Vijayawada railway station and direct trains to Mumbai and Coimbatore. He urged the officials to upgrade Vijayawada railway station as a worldclass station. The Vijayawada MP demanded a new night train between Vijayawada and Secunderabad, doubling and electrification of the Vijayawada- Gudivada-Machilipatnam- Bhimavaram and Nidadavole sections and a new railway line between Kondapalli and Kothagudem.
Besides, the MP demanded that the authorities make the Machilipatnam- Yeswantpur train service a regular service. He appealed to the officials to run the Seshadri Express with 24 coaches instead of 20 coaches.
Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao sought diversion of Pinakini Express and Navajevan Express via Guntur. He demanded extension of Devagiri Express from Secunderabad to Guntur.
Samabasiva Rao also suggested diversion of long-distance trains bound for Chennai and New Delhi through Guntur and introduction of an intercity express train between Guntur and Kurnool.
Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasa Reddy demanded that the officials make the Markapur Road railway station a model station. He wanted a halt for Garib Rath Express at Markapur Road, regularisation of the Machilipatnam-Yeswanthpur Express, extension of 407 and 408 pasenger trains running between Tenali and Donakonda up to Markapur Station Road.
Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar, Narasaraopet MP M Venugopala Reddy, Amalapuram MP G V Harsha Kumar and Machilipatnam MP K Narayana Rao participated.
Divisional Railway Manager Vashista Johri was also present.
–Agencies