The Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (E Co R) has been allocated ₹2,857.85 crore in the current budget grant for the financial year 2023-24, Railway Minister Ahwini Vaishnaw told the media through video conference on Friday evening. Whereas, a meagre allocation of ₹10 crore was made in the Budget for the creation of the new South Coast Railway (S Co R) Zone and the new Rayagada Division in E Co R.
The major allocations include ₹2,185 crore for doubling of lines, ₹285 crore for new lines, ₹261.43 crore for track renewals and ₹51.13 crore for traffic facility works, and the remaining for other works.
Later, Divisional Railway Manager Anup Satpathy said that Waltair Division would also get a share in the combined allocation of ₹1,700 crore to East Coast Railway for various amenities and facilitation works. The Budget has mainly focussed on completion of ongoing projects and construction of new lines.
Yard remodeling and other traffic facilities would be taken up at Simhachalam North and Gopalapatnam at a cost ₹7.5 crore, conversion of L 4 into a longer loop with Chipurupalli with common loop status for python trains would be taken up at a cost of ₹84.54 lakh, auto signaling between Gopalapatnam and Vizianagaram, including Simhachalam bypass line, would be taken up with ₹32.78 crore and coaching complex work with ₹10 crore.
The Electric Loco Shed (ELS) would be augmented at a cost of ₹20 lakh and extension of covered shed and other infrastructure facilities would be taken up at a cost of ₹1.10 crore.
