Modernisation of Kothagudem railway station under ABSS going on at brisk pace.
Kothagudem: Modernisation of Kothagudem railway station under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) with an expenditure of Rs 25.41 crore has been going on fast pace, said South Central Railway officials.
Kothagudem railway station was one among the 40 railway stations selected for upgradation across Telangana under ABSS. Falling under Secunderabad division it was categorised as non-suburban grade-4 (NSG-4) station.
The station was built to transport coal from the nearby mines to various parts of the Nizam state. Later it evolved into a crucial transportation hub, connecting Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Warangal and other major cities.
Recently a new railway line between Kothagudem and Sathupally was jointly developed by SCR and Singareni Collieries Company Limited to facilitate coal transportation. The station that falls under Dornakal-Manugur section with average footfall of 8020 passengers per day earns Rs 7.61 crore annually.
Improvements to the station building façade, construction of 12 metre wide foot over bridge (FoB), one lift and one escalator, landscaping in circulating areas, depicting art and culture in the station area were among the proposed works. In all above 45 percent works have been completed so far.
The railway station serves as a connecting point to historic Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple at Bhadrachalam. The station’s proximity to the temple town makes it an essential stopover for devotees and travellers.
However on many occasions passengers from outside the State get confused with the name of the railway station. Though the station is located in Kothagudem, the district headquarters, it is called Bhadrachalam road station and passengers unaware of it think they arrived in Bhadrachalam itself though they have to travel another 40 km to reach the temple town.
The locals and passengers from other States want the railway station called Kothagudem railway station to avoid confusion and also to give recognition to the coal town, Kothagudem.