Narendra Kumar Varikuntla Kurnool

IndianRailways has approved a new Machilipatnam–Kurnool City Express via Vijayawada, providing additional rail connectivity between the coastal Andhra, Palnadu and Rayalaseema regions.

The 499-km train service will operate three days a week in each direction, benefiting passengers travelling between the two cities and several towns along the route. The new service is expected to offer greater convenience to commuters and strengthen rail connectivity across the State.

According to sources, the express will depart from Machilipatnam at 4.55 pm and reach Kurnool City at 5.45 am the following day. In the return direction, it will leave Kurnool at 9.30 am and arrive at Machilipatnam at 9.35 pm on the same day.

The train will run from Machilipatnam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, while the return service will operate from Kurnool on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It will stop at Gudivada, Vijayawada, Narasaraopet, Vinukonda, Donakonda, Markapur Road, Cumbum, Giddalur, Diguvametta, Nandyal, Bethamcherla and Dhone.In a separate development, the Railways has approved a Rs 122-crore project to double a six-km railway stretch between Barbil and Bolani Khadan under the South Eastern Railway. The project is expected to enhance freight handling capacity by an additional 8.9 million tonnes annually upon completion. The existing single-line section handles around nine million tonnes of freight every year, with approximately six loaded iron ore rakes departing through the route daily. The doubling work is expected to facilitate smoother freight movement and improve transportation capacity. Meanwhile, a Rs 223-crore project has been approved for the installation of the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system along 614.75 km of railway lines in the Varanasi Division of the North Eastern Railway.

The system is aimed at enhancing train safety and reducing the risk of collisions. The latest approvals cover passenger connectivity, freight transportation and railway safety, with the new Machilipatnam–Kurnool Express set to provide an additional travel option for passengers in Andhra Pradesh.