Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has requested the railway department to introduce special container reefer trains for transporting agricultural, horticultural, and aqua products from Andhra Pradesh. He emphasized the need for enhanced rail connectivity to transform the state into a major logistics hub.
Review with Railway Minister
Naidu visited the temporarily established South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone office in Visakhapatnam along with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. They conducted a review meeting with senior officials from the South Central Railway (SCR), East Coast Railway (ECoR), and SCoR zones. The CM and the railway minister discussed the activities of the new railway zone and the progress of ongoing railway projects in Andhra Pradesh.
Proposed Administrative Changes
Naidu suggested merging certain railway sections and making administrative adjustments in the newly formed SCoR zone. He proposed integrating the Araku-Kothavalasa section and the Kurnool-Dhone section into the new zone to promote development in those areas.
Logistics Hub Aspirations
The Chief Minister explained that inadequate rail route density is hindering Andhra Pradesh's goal of becoming a logistics hub. He requested the establishment of new railway routes connecting various regions in Rayalaseema. Additionally, he urged enhanced connectivity to existing ports and the newly constructed ports at Mulapeta, Machilipatnam, and Ramayapatnam. He highlighted the need to connect the hinterland by rail to facilitate cargo transport from regions such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Nagpur in Maharashtra, Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh, and Ballari and Bengaluru in Karnataka to these ports.
Railway Minister's Assurance
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that special priority would be given to connecting ports in Andhra Pradesh. He personally briefed the Chief Minister on ongoing railway projects, proposed new routes, and other works in the state.
