South Coast Railway’s (SCoR) Vijayawada Division has commissioned an additional loop line at Gullipadu (GLU) station on the Vijayawada–Duvvada section. Also commissioned was a modern electronic interlocking (EI) system, replacing the station’s decades-old manual signalling panel.
The commissioning was carried out during a traffic block from 13:05 to 14:45 hrs on August 8, 2026, preceded by five days of preparatory work. The entire exercise was completed within the targeted six-hour window, with only four trains affected.
In addition, the latest EI system from Medha MEI634 was commissioned, the first such installation on SCoR.
Additional Loop Line
An additional 955m loop line was laid and the existing loop line extended by 340m to 1026 m. This involved adding three new track switches, shifting two others, and removing one located on a curve as well as electrification of the additional track and crossings.
New EI based signalling System
The new EI system replaces the station’s ageing mechanical signalling panel and features dual redundant design with digital network which along Digital Axle Counters (MSDAC) provide increased availability and enhanced safety.
As part of the works, an automatic electrically operated lifting barrier has been installed in place of the earlier manually operated lock boom, along with Emergency Sliding Boom providing faster operation of gates for Road Traffic.
The additional line provides extra capacity in the Samalkot-Duvvada Section and removes the yard constraints that restricted the speed on Down line to 80 kmph.
