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Puttaparthi gets railway link

By Our Staff Reporter

PUTTAPARTHI NOV. 16. Puttaparthi was linked to the national railway network on Saturday, near here, when the Union Minister of State for Railways, Bandaru Dattatreya, flagged off Prashanti Nilayam-Kachiguda Express, an extension of Dharmavaram-Kachiguda service (train No. 7604/7603), as a part of Penukonda-Puttaparthi-Dharmavaram link.

The Union Minister said the long-felt need of devotees of Satya Saibaba was fulfilled with the inauguration of the link. He declared Prashanti Nilayam a model railway station and termed it a `birthday' gift to Saibaba. He said emphasis was being laid on improvement of sanitation on trains and at stations. About Rs. 200 crores was being spent on the improvement of passenger amenities during the current financial year.

Mr. Dattatreya announced diversion of train No. 2429/2430 Bangalore-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express (four days a week), train No. 6529/6530 Udyan Express between Mumbai CST and Bangalore and No. 8563/8564 Prashanthi Express between Visakhapatnam and Bangalore

via Prashanti Nilayam station from today. The trains were being run on Penukonda-Dharmavaram line so far.

Besides, diversion of New Delhi-Bangalore Karnataka Express, Bangalore-Secunderabad Express and Yashwantpura-Guntur passenger trains via Puttaparthi would be considered, the Minister added.

The General Manager of South Central Railway, S.M. Singla, said the inauguration of new line would provide direct access to Puttaparthi from all over the country. The Additional General Manager, K.K. Pande, explained that Penukonda-Puttaparthi (21 km) and Puttaparthi-Dharmavaram (32 km) line was laid at a cost of Rs. 124 crores. He said all trains would have a five-minute halt at Prashanti Nilayam.

The Minister for Animal Husbandry and Diary Development, N. Kistappa, B.K. Parthasarathi and K. Srinivasulu, MPs, and the Satya Sai Central Trust member and brother of Saibaba, R.V. Janaki Ramaiah, spoke.

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