BRS urges Centre to include Zaheerabad in bullet train project

A BRS delegation met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the Centre to include Zaheerabad railway station in the Hyderabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor and sanction a bullet train stop, citing the region's rapid industrial growth and strategic importance.

Hyderabad: The BRS urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to include Zaheerabad railway station in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed Hyderabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor and sanction a stop for the bullet train. A BRS delegation, led by BRS Parliamentary Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, along with MLAs Chinta Prabhakar and K Manik Rao, met the Railway Minister in Parliament on Thursday and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

Ravichandra said Zaheerabad had emerged as a major industrial hub and deserved inclusion in the project. He pointed out that the Centre had approved a 12,656-acre National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ), an Industrial Smart City and other key industrial projects in the region, making it one of the fastest-growing manufacturing centres in the country.

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Pointing out that thousands of farmers had voluntarily given their land for these projects, he argued that a bullet train stop would recognise their contribution apart from boosting industrial growth, logistics and employment.

The delegation also highlighted Zaheerabad’s strategic location on National Highway-65 and its proximity to Karnataka and Maharashtra, in addition to its importance within Telangana. They said the proposed dry port, Hyderabad-Nagpur Industrial Corridor and Hyderabad-Mumbai Economic Corridor would further strengthen the region’s industrial potential.

According to the memorandum, a bullet train stop at Zaheerabad would improve connectivity for industries, attract more domestic and foreign investment, generate over three lakh direct and indirect jobs, and support manufacturing and exports.