Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy flagged off the Secunderabad-Vasco Da Gama inaugural Express at the Secunderabad railway station here on Sunday.
Pointing to the long pending demand for an exclusive train to Goa from Hyderabad, he said the express train to Vasco Da Gama is being operated from Secunderabad twice a week, fulfilling people's wishes.
The service provides travel options for the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to visit Goa and it also caters to the requirements of those who wish to travel to major cities of Karnataka like Ballari, Hospet, Hubbali and Dharwad, he said.
Highlighting railway development works in Telangana, Reddy said the Secunderabad railway station is being redeveloped with world-class standards at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crores and that the works are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The Secunderabad station stands second after the New Delhi railway station in operating the highest number of Vande Bharat Express services, connecting Bengaluru, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Nagpur, he said.
A railway manufacturing unit is being set up at Kazipet in Telangana at an outlay of Rs 520 crores. The unit is expected to generate 3,000 jobs upon its completion.
The development works at Cherlapalli Railway terminal in the city are nearing completion. Major stations in twin cities like Hyderabad and Kacheguda will be upgraded with modern infrastructure facilities, he added.
Congress Rajya Sabha member M Anil Kumar Yadav, senior railway officials were present on the occasion.
