Trial run conducted on new Bidar-Gulbarga railway line

Source: The Hindu

Get set, go: An engine leaves Khanapur junction near Bidar for the trial run on the new Khanapur-Humnabad line.

South Central Railway officials conducted a trial run on the newly-constructed Khanapur-Humnabad line on Monday.

This 38-km stretch has been completed in the first phase of the 108-km Bidar-Gulbarga railway line. “The work on the line is complete and it is ready for inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety,” S. Subramanya, Deputy Chief Engineer (Construction), South Central Railway, told presspersons at the Khanapur junction on Monday.

The Khanapur junction was being used for operations and track-changing. But it was not yet being used for passenger services. Mr. Subramanya said work on the Bidar-Gulbarga line had been divided into three parts. “The first phase of 38 km is complete. Earth work is complete in the second phase of 17 km and railway tracks are being laid. Of the 43 km in the third phase, earth work is under progress in the 10-km stretch between Gulbarga and Tajsultanpur,” he said.

Officials estimate the total line between Khanapur and Gulbarga will be completed by 2014. The total cost of the project is around Rs. 400 crore. Of this, Rs. 150 crore has been spent on the first phase.