In a major relief to the commuters of Andhra Pradesh, the Indian Railways has approved a new tri-weekly train service between Machilipatnam and Kurnool City via Vijayawada of South Coast Railway, providing an additional rail connectivity option between coastal and central parts of Andhra Pradesh.

The approved Machilipatnam-Kurnool City Express will cover a distance of 499 km. It will depart from Machilipatnam at 16:55 and reach Kurnool City at 05:45 the next day. In the return direction, the Kurnool City-Machilipatnam Express will depart from Kurnool City at 09:30 and reach Machilipatnam at 21:35 the same day.

The Machilipatnam-Kurnool City Express will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, while the Kurnool City-Machilipatnam Express will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Major Stations to be Connected

The new train will have commercial stoppages at:

• Gudivada
• Vijayawada
• Narasaraopet
• Vinukonda
• Donakonda
• Markapur Road          
• Cumbum
• Giddalur
• Diguvametta
• Nandyal
• Betamcherla
• Dhone

The new service will provide an additional travel option for the passengers of Andhra Pradesh and strengthen connectivity between Machilipatnam, Vijayawada and Kurnool City, while also improving access to several towns and cities along the route.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Dr. Nayan Solanki /Vikas Jha