South Central Railway Zone commissions its longest rail flyover in Vijayawada Division

Vijayawada: A 2.2 km electrified rail flyover or Rail over Rail (RoR), the longest in the South Central Railway (SCR) Zone, was commissioned in Vijayawada Division on Friday, an official said.

Built between Gudur and Manubolu railway stations, this rail flyover, which is the seventh in the zone, overtook the formerly longest one which stretched only up to 40 metres.

“This rail flyover has been constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) as part of the third line works between Gudur and Manubolu,” the official said in a press release.

Completed within two years’ time, incorporating state-of-the-art technology, the new rail flyover was built with pre-stressed concrete (PSC) and composite girders, which have high inherent torsional resistance and lower overall maintenance costs.

The dimensions of the flyover are such that it was built within available railway land and avoiding land acquisition. The RoR is equipped to handle bidirectional train traffic with 32.5 tonnes of axle load.

Located on the Grand Trunk route, Gudur station is a key interchange point between the South Central Railway and Southern Railway zones, which handles all types of train movements.

Further, the rail flyover will facilitate simultaneous train movements from Vijayawada to Renigunta and Chennai to Vijayawada while passing through Gudur station.

It will facilitate simultaneous reception and despatch facilities to eliminate detentions on account of cross movements and improve average speed, among other operational efficiencies.

Considering the increasing number of trains being operated through Gudur station, SCR Zone General Manager Arun Kumar Jain said that the rail flyover would significantly reduce train waiting periods.