Tirupati, June 30: Efforts were on to get the project to develop the Tirupati railway station to international standards cleared, member of Parliament Chinta Mohan said here today.
Speaking at the flagging off of a new passenger train service between Tirupati and Guntakal here today, Mohan said various agencies including the state revenue department, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the railways were working together to sort out problems like identification of suitable land for building a new railway station which would ensure the famous pilgrim town a place on the international tourism map.
Mohan later flagged of train No.275 Tirupati- Guntakala Passenger train which will run on the newly-converted Pakala- Dharmavaram broad gauge section. The train, consisting of eight unreserved coaches and two second class -luggage-cum-brake van will run daily and leave at Tirupati at 8 in the morning and reach Guntakal at 10:30 the same night. In the return direction the train will leave Guntakal at 7 in the morning and reach Tirupati at 4:40 in the evening.
En route, it will halt at Chandragiri, Pakala Junction, Piler, Pulicherla, Madanaplle Road, Kurabalakota, Mulakalacheruvu, Kadiri, Mudigubba, Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Garladinne and Hanuman Circle H.
The introduction of a new passenger train service between Tirupati and Guntakal on the converted Pakala-Dharmavaram broad gauge section heralds commencement of cheaper transport to the people of backward areas in Chittoor and Anantapur district.
That apart, the upgraded section of track offers an alternative and shorter route between Dharmvaram and Tirupati. The distance between the two places via Pakala is 269 km whereas it is 381 km via Gooty, Kadapa and Renigunta_thereby reducing the distance by 112 km.
The conversion will also enhance rail conductivity to places of tourist and pilgrim interest like Horsley hills, Kadiri (Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple), Thimmamma Marrimanu and Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi).
CHITTOOR: Union minister of state for railways KH Muniyappa and Union minister of state for steel A Sai Pratap inagurated the newly converted Pakala-Dharmavaram broad gaugue section and also flagged of the Tirupati-Guntakal Passenger Train at the Pakala station.
Muniyappa said the Chittoor station would be developed as a model station. Introduction of a new express train between Secunderabad and Tirupati via Pakala was under consideration, he said. MLC Jayachandra Naidu and others were present.
–Agencies