The project was initially sanctioned in the year 1997 when H. D. Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister of India. The 274 km long Mahabubnagar to Munirabad new line project was sanctioned with a latest estimated cost of Rs 3,543 crores. This new line project has five sections: Mahabubnagar - Devarkadra, Devarkadra – Krishna Jn, Krishna Jn - Raichur Jn, Raichur Jn - Ginigera Jn and Ginigera Jn - Munirabad.
The new line project will help in expanding the rail network between Hyderabad and the mining belt of Karnataka. Several materials such as iron ore, cement, steel, and many others can now be transported through this alternate route.[2]
The South Central Railway zone of the line is completed now. The Devarkadre - Jaklair part was completed in 2017, Maganoor - Krishna Jn portion of the line was completed on 9 February 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the course of his visit to Telangana, dedicated the Krishna - Maganoor - Jaklair section to the nation on 1 October 2023.[3][4]
In late 2023, it was announced the section between Devarkadra and Krishna will be fully electrified.[5][6]
In the portion of the line that is with South Western Railway zone, the Ginigera - Gangavathi section was opened in March 2019.[7] The line was extended till Kartagi in November 2021. The works on the only missing link of the line that is between Kartagi and Raichur is in progress and is scheduled to complete by 2025.[8][9]
