The massive allocations made in the Union Budget to expedite ongoing and new railway lines could see Karimnagar town emerging as the biggest railway junction of the State.
For the first time, several sops were announced in the Budget for the integrated Karimnagar district for early completion of the ongoing railway projects and execution of new railway lines. In total, over ₹1,200 crore was allocated to various projects in the integrated district.
Among the top projects is the survey for the proposed railway line from Karimnagar to Hasanparthi. This would connect the town with Kazipet via Manakondur, Huzurabad and Elkathurthy at a cost of ₹10 crore.
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The Railway Ministry had allocated ₹125 crore for the ongoing Kothapalli to Manoharabad railway line that would connect the town to Hyderabad via Gajwel, Siddipet and Vemulawada.
Already, land acquisition for the railway line was completed in Medak and Sangareddy districts and would soon be completed in Rajanna-Sircilla district.
This line is the brainchild of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had proposed it when he was Karimnagar MP in 2004.
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Buoyed by the huge allocations, Karimnagar MP B. Vinod Kumar said that the railway station would emerge as the biggest junction connecting north and south India.
He said that the existing line between Peddapalli and Nizamabad via Karimnagar would connect it with north India and Mumbai. The Kothapalli to Manoharabad line would connect the town to Hyderabad.
Warangal and Nizamabad would also be connected to Karimnagar, making it a busy junction, he said.
The MP told The Hindu that the railways had allocated ₹113 crore for the electrification of lines connected to Karimnagar, while ₹500 crore was provided for modernisation of stations in Ramagundam, Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Jammikunta, Jagtial, Odela, Pothkapalli and Uppal among others.