Hyderabad: Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy said railway infrastructure works worth nearly Rs 47,984 crore were currently underway under Telangana railway projects aimed at strengthening transport connectivity.
The minister made the remarks after inspecting redevelopment works at Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station on Thursday.
He said the station was being upgraded with modern facilities to handle increasing passenger traffic.
According to him, about 60 trains operate daily from the station. Nearly 20,000 passengers use the facility every day.
The Centre allocated Rs 350 crore for the station redevelopment under the Telangana railway projects programme.
Officials finalised tenders worth Rs 327 crore for the works.
The redevelopment plan included a 6,500-square-foot central hall, restaurants and food courts. Modern waiting halls, lifts, escalators, parking areas and Wi-Fi facilities were also planned.
Authorities expected to complete the project by 2027.
Telangana railway projects expand infrastructure network
Kishan Reddy said railway investment in the state increased sharply after 2014 under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Annual railway allocations for Telangana rose from Rs 258 crore earlier to about Rs 5,454 crore now.
He said authorities completed 346 kilometres of new railway lines as part of the Telangana railway projects.
In addition, 513 kilometres of tracks had been doubled, tripled or otherwise upgraded.
Railway authorities also completed electrification of about 1,979 kilometres of tracks across the state.
The minister said 42 railway stations in Telangana were currently undergoing modernisation.
These included Cherlapalli Railway Terminal, Karimnagar Railway Station, Begumpet Railway Station and Warangal Railway Station.
Kishan Reddy also referred to three proposed high-speed rail corridors announced in the Union Budget.
The proposed routes included Hyderabad–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Hyderabad–Pune.
According to him, these corridors would involve investments exceeding Rs 50,000 crore and form a key part of the expanding Telangana railway projects network.