Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi Double Line Approved

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the doubling of the Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi single railway line section (104 km) in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,332 crore.

The multi-tracking project is expected to ease operations, reduce congestion, and provide much-needed infrastructure on one of the busiest railway sections in the country.

The project is part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which aims to ensure seamless movement of people and goods. Spanning three districts across two States - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu - it will extend the Indian Railways' network by approximately 113 km and improve connectivity to about 400 villages, benefiting around 14 lakh people.

In addition to the Tirumala Venkateswara temple, the upgraded line will link other significant destinations including the Sri Kalahasti Siva temple, the Kanipakam Vinayaka temple and the Chandragiri fort, attracting pilgrims and tourists from across India.

This route is key for transporting commodities like coal, agricultural goods, cement and minerals, and the capacity expansion will increase the freight traffic by 4 million tons per annum (MTPA). It is also expected to help reduce oil imports by 4 crore litres and cut CO2 emissions by 20 crore kg.