Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reviewed all ongoing railway projects in the state and directed officials to finish them quickly. These projects together cost about ₹33,630 crore and are progressing at different stages.
Naidu assured full cooperation from the state government for land acquisition and funding. He also suggested linking the proposed southern Bullet Train project with the upcoming international airport in Amaravati.
According to Naidu, the Centre plans a high-speed network connecting Hyderabad, Chennai, Amaravati, and Bengaluru. But for this to happen, Amaravati needs a solid foundation before taking on such large-scale projects.
India’s first Bullet Train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad was announced in 2009, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying its foundation in 2017. Despite that, construction is yet to begin.
The project costs ₹1.08 lakh crore, funded mostly by a JICA loan covering 81%, with the Centre and states sharing the rest. Even Maharashtra and Gujarat, among India’s richest states, are struggling with land acquisition.
For Amaravati, this challenge would be far greater. The city is still developing, and the immediate priority should be building roads, railways, and urban infrastructure to make it functional and livable.
Improving road and rail links will attract investments naturally. Once Amaravati reaches a stable growth phase, projects like the Bullet Train can be considered seriously.
During the same meeting, Naidu stressed the importance of strengthening rail connections to new ports at Mulapeta, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Ramayapatnam. These links will boost freight movement and support industrial growth across Andhra Pradesh.
