Amaravati Railway Line: Land Acquisition Begins for 57-km Errupalem–Namburu Connector

What Happened: Land Acquisition Begins

Railway authorities have begun the process to acquire nearly 300 acres of land across eight villages in NTR district, with the acquisition being carried out in coordination with the state revenue machinery. The villages covered are Gottumukkala, Paritala, Jujjuru, G. Madhavaram, Chennaraopalem, Peddapurum, Alluru and Narasimharao Palem in Kanchikacherla and Veeralapadu mandals.

Approximately 80% of the required land is already available through the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), with only a small portion needing to be acquired in NTR district. SCR plans to acquire 60 acres of land in Yerrupalem and Kesireddypalle villages, with a draft notification issued for farmers to file objections. Farmers in the affected areas have been given 30 days to submit objections to the land acquisition.

Why: Cabinet Approval and Strategic Role

The new line will connect Andhra Pradesh's greenfield capital Amaravati directly to the national rail network and will also serve as a strategic bypass corridor and help reduce heavy traffic congestion at Vijayawada Junction.

The estimated cost of this project is 2,245 crore rupees and will provide direct rail connectivity to Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. These projects will generate direct employment for approximately 106 lakh human-days.

Stations and Infrastructure

This new railway line will have a total of 9 stations, including Peddapuram, Chinnaravupalem, Gottumukkala, Paritala, Kothapeta, Vaddamanu, Amaravathi, Tadikonda, and Koppuravuru, with Amaravati being the main station.

One of the key features of this project is the construction of a 3KM long bridge over the Krishna river between Kothapeta and Vaddamanu.

A multi-modal cargo station is also planned for Paritala in NTR district, which is expected to become a critical freight hub along the new route. The Andhra Pradesh government has also requested the Ministry of Railways to develop the Amaravati station as a model railway station, proposing around 1,500 acres for its development.

Project Timeline

While the central government has set a four-year timeline for completion, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has urged for faster progress, requesting that the project be completed within three years. As the land acquisition is at pace, the project will move into the execution stage.

Regional Coverage and Impact

The Errupalem–Amaravati–Namburu line will pass through NTR, Vijayawada and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh and Khammam district of Telangana, and will provide rail connectivity to approximately 168 villages and about 12 lakh people through nine new stations.