Lok Sabha Question No. 735 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-04
Subject: Bhadrachalam-Kovvur Railway Line Project
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 735 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026

## BHADRACHALAM-KOVVUR RAILWAY LINE PROJECT

## 735.  SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any study/survey regarding the Bhadrachalam-Kovvur Railway line during the last five years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  details  of  the  steps  undertaken  to  expedite  completion  of  the railway line during the last five years;
- (c) the details of the total funding allocated/released/utilised for completion of the railway line;
- (d) whether  the Government  has  initiated/taken steps for revised estimates for cost of the total project and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of the reasons of delay in completion of the project and the steps undertaken by the Government for expedited completion of the same?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (e):  Bhadrachalam-Kovvur  (119  Km)  New  Line  project  was sanctioned  on  50:50  cost  sharing  basis  with  Government  of  Andhra Pradesh at an anticipated cost of ₹3,796 crore. Out of which, Bhadrachalam-Satupalli  (56  Km)  new  line  project  has  already  been completed in May 2022.

## ANDHRA PRADESH:

Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Andhra Pradesh is as under:

| Period    | Outlay                              |
|-----------|-------------------------------------|
| 2009-2014 | ₹886 cr./year (including Telangana) |
| 2025-2026 | ₹9,417 cr. (more than 10 times)     |

The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Andhra Pradesh during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under:

| Period   | New Track Commissioned   | Average Commissioning of new tracks   |
|----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 363 Km                   | 72.6 Km per year                      |
| 2014-25  | 1,582 Km                 | 143.82 Km per year (Nearly 2 times)   |

As on 01.04.2025, 39 projects (12 New Lines and 27 Doubling), covering total length of 4,499 km length, costing ₹70,232 crore, falling fully/partly in  Andhra Pradesh, have been sanctioned, out of which 1,178 km length has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of  ₹28,039  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2025. The status of the work is summarized as:

| Category       | No. of projects   | Total Length (Km)   | Length Commissioned (Km)   | Exp upto March 2025 (₹ in cr.)   |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| New Line       | 12                | 1595                | 199                        | 6,413                            |
| Doubling       | 27                | 2904                | 979                        | 21,626                           |
| /Multitracking |                   |                     |                            |                                  |
| TOTAL          | 39                | 4,499               | 1,178                      | 28,039                           |

Zonal Railway  wise  details  of  Railway  projects  are  made  available  in public domain on Indian Railway's website.

Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Andhra Pradesh are as under:

Contd…3

|   S.No. | Name of Project                                                                                               | Cost (₹. in cr.)   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
|       1 | Vijaywada - Gudivada - Bhimavaram - Narsapur, Gudivada-Machlipatnam & Bhimavaram-Nidadavolu doubling (221 Km) | 4,688              |
|       2 | Guntur-Tenali doubling (24 Km)                                                                                | 205                |
|       3 | Nandyal-Yerraguntla new line (126 Km)                                                                         | 1,050              |
|       4 | Jaggayyapeta-Mellacheruvu-Janpahad new line (48 Km)                                                           | 737                |
|       5 | Obulavaripalle-Krishnapattnam new line (113 Km)                                                               | 2,300              |
|       6 | Vizianagaram-Kottavalsa 3rd Line (35 Km)                                                                      | 285                |
|       7 | Raichur-Guntakal doubling (81 Km)                                                                             | 388                |
|       8 | Guntakal-Kalluru doubling (41 Km)                                                                             | 410                |
|       9 | Yelahanka-Penukonda doubling (123 Km)                                                                         | 1,104              |
|      10 | Gooty-Dharmavaram doubling (90 Km)                                                                            | 1,800              |

## Some of  the  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh which have been taken up are as under:

|   S.N | Name of Project                                                  | Cost (Cr)   |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
|     1 | Kotipalli-Narsapur new line (57 Km)                              | 2,120       |
|     2 | Nadikude-Srikalahasti new line (309 Km)                          | 3,122       |
|     3 | Rayadurg-Kalyandurg-Tumkur new line (207 Km)                     | 2,496       |
|     4 | Marikuppam-Kuppam new line (24 Km)                               | 297         |
|     5 | Malugur - Palasamudram new line (18 Km)                          | 342         |
|     6 | Malkangiri- Bhadrachalam - Pandurangapuram new line (174 Km)     | 3,592       |
|     7 | Errupalem-Amravati-Namburu new line (57 Km)                      | 2,047       |
|     8 | Kottavalasa-Koraput Doubling (189 Km)                            | 2,500       |
|     9 | Vijaywada- Gudur 3rd line (287 Km)                               | 6,509       |
|    10 | Guntakal- Guntur Doubling (401 Km)                               | 4,306       |
|    11 | Pennukonda-Dharmavarm Doubling (42 Km)                           | 308         |
|    12 | Gooty-Pendekallu Doubling (29 Km)                                | 352         |
|    13 | Duvvada - Simhachalam North 3rd & 4th line (21 Km)               | 356         |
|    14 | Kottavalasa - Vizianagram 4th line (35 Km)                       | 493         |
|    15 | Gudur-Renigunta 3rd Line (83 Km)                                 | 877         |
|    16 | Nergundi - Barang & Khurda Road - Vizianagaram 3rd line (385 Km) | 4,963       |

In  last  three  Years  i.e.  2022-23,  2023-24,  2024-25  and  current  financial year  2025-26,  65  surveys  (15  New  Line,  50  Doubling)  covering  a  total length of 6,985 Km have been taken up falling fully/partly in the State of

Andhra Pradesh.

Sanction  of  any  railway  project  depend  upon  many  parameters/factors which include the following:

-  Anticipated traffic projections and remunerativeness of the proposed route
-  First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
-  Connection of missing links and providing additional route
-  Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
-  Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public representatives,
-  Railway's operational requirements
-  Socio-economic considerations
-  Overall availability of funds

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:

-  Land acquisition
-  Forest clearance
- 
- 
- Shifting of infringing utilities
- Statutory clearances from various authorities
-  Geological and topographical conditions of area
-  Law and order situation in the area of project site
-  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.

All these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s.

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