CM Revanth Reddy Urges Vaishnaw to Fast-Track Telangana Rail Projects
Synopsis
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Rail Bhavan on October 30, demanding faster alignment approvals for three high-speed corridors, sanction of eight new rail lines, and swift clearance for a mega freight depot near Mahabubabad.
Key Takeaways
CM Revanth Reddy held a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi on October 30, 2026 .
Telangana has sent revised proposals to the Centre for Hyderabad–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Hyderabad–Chennai high-speed corridors but will not begin land acquisition until alignment is approved.
The CM sought immediate sanction for a Vikarabad–Krishna new rail line (130 km) to support a proposed cement and textile hub near Tekulkoda.
A Regional Ring Rail aligned alongside the 360 km RRR around Hyderabad was proposed for large-scale employment generation.
Six additional new lines totalling hundreds of kilometres were placed before the Minister for urgent approval.
Telangana has already committed 409.1 acres of land near Mahabubabad for the South Central Railway mega coaching and freight maintenance depot.
At a high-stakes meeting inside Delhi's Rail Bhavan on Friday, October 30, 2026, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy placed a sweeping rail wish-list before Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw — demanding faster movement on high-speed corridors, fresh line sanctions, and a mega maintenance depot that the state says it is already ready to support with land.
Three High-Speed Corridors and the Alignment Deadlock
The centrepiece of the meeting was a push to unlock the Hyderabad–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Hyderabad–Chennai high-speed rail corridors. Reddy told Vaishnaw that Telangana has already reviewed the Centre's proposals for all three routes, suggested modifications, and sent revised proposals back to New Delhi. The state's position is unambiguous: not a single hectare of land acquisition will begin on any of the three corridors until the central government formally approves the alignment. Reddy urged the Ministry to complete that alignment process 'as soon as possible,' effectively passing the baton — and the bottleneck — back to Delhi.
New Lines Sought: Vikarabad–Krishna, RRR Rail, and Six More Routes
Beyond the high-speed agenda, the CM pressed for immediate sanction of the Vikarabad–Krishna new rail line (130 km), arguing that massive limestone deposits discovered near Tekulkoda in Vikarabad district make the area a natural candidate for a cement and textile industrial hub — a hub that needs rail connectivity to become viable. He also asked Vaishnaw to align a Regional Ring Rail alongside the nearly complete 360 km Regional Ring Road (#RRR) around Hyderabad, projecting large-scale employment generation from the combined infrastructure corridor.
Six additional routes were placed on the table for urgent sanction: Dornkal–Gadwal, Kalwakurthy–Macherla, Kachiguda–Jaggayyapeta (250 km), Patancheru–Adilabad (320 km), Bodhan–Latur (175 km), and the Akkannapeta Bypass Line (8 km). Taken together, these requests span hundreds of kilometres of new track intended to stitch together under-connected interior districts of Telangana.
Anantaram Depot: 409 Acres Ready, Approvals Awaited
Reddy reminded Vaishnaw that Telangana has already agreed to hand over 409.1 acres of land in Anantaram village near Mahabubabad for a mega coaching and freight maintenance depot that South Central Railway (SCR) plans to establish. With the land commitment on the table, the CM asked for swift clearance of the depot — framing it as a project the state has done everything in its power to enable, with only central approval remaining.
A Congress Bloc in the Room
The meeting was a show of political weight as much as a technical briefing. State Minister Vivek Venkataswamy and a battery of Telangana MPs — including A.K. Yadav, Vem Narender Reddy, Dr. Mallu Ravi, Porika Balram, Kiran Chamala, and V.K. Gaddam — joined the CM, along with Delhi-based state special representative AP Jithender and senior officials. The presence of multiple elected representatives signals Hyderabad's intent to keep railway investment firmly on the federal agenda ahead of the next budget cycle.
Telangana's message to Rail Bhavan is clear: the state has done its homework, prepared its land, and sent its counterproposals — now the Centre must act. Every month the alignment process stalls is a month Hyderabad's connectivity ambitions sit idle on a shelf in Delhi.
Point of View
Where Congress-governed Telangana must extract rail investments from a BJP-led Union government — making the optics of bipartisan cooperation as important as the actual technical asks. By publicly clarifying that land acquisition is contingent on central alignment approval, Reddy is deftly shifting the accountability for delay onto New Delhi. The breadth of requests — from marquee high-speed corridors to an 8 km bypass — reflects a strategy of flooding the table so that even partial wins deliver tangible political dividends. Whether these asks translate into budget line-items or sanction orders will be a key test of how much leverage a state government can exercise over railway capital allocation.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which high-speed rail corridors has Telangana proposed to the central government?
Telangana has proposed three high-speed rail corridors: Hyderabad–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Hyderabad–Chennai. The state has reviewed the Centre's alignment proposals, suggested modifications, and sent revised counterproposals to New Delhi.
Why has Telangana not started land acquisition for the high-speed corridors?
CM Revanth Reddy clarified that land acquisition for all three corridors will begin only after the central government formally approves the final alignment. He urged the Railway Ministry to complete the alignment process as quickly as possible.
What is the Vikarabad–Krishna rail line and why is it being requested?
The Vikarabad–Krishna new rail line spans approximately 130 km. CM Revanth Reddy requested its immediate sanction because large limestone deposits have been found near Tekulkoda in Vikarabad district, and the state plans to develop the area into a cement and textile industrial hub that requires rail connectivity.
What is the Regional Ring Rail project around Hyderabad?
The Regional Ring Rail is a proposed rail corridor to be aligned alongside the approximately 360 km Regional Ring Road being built around Hyderabad. CM Revanth Reddy requested its alignment approval, citing large-scale employment generation as a key benefit.
What is the mega freight depot near Mahabubabad and what has Telangana offered?
South Central Railway plans a mega coaching and freight maintenance depot in Anantaram village near Mahabubabad. Telangana has already agreed to transfer 409.1 acres of land for the project and CM Revanth Reddy asked Railway Minister Vaishnaw to grant swift approvals to operationalise it.
