linguistic:voice_change
Railways

Renigunta is the first among major stations to appear on railway map of Andhra Pradesh, when Madras railway connected it to Madras in 1862. Rajahmundry-Vijag and Viajayawad-Kovvur sections were opened in 1893. Vijayawada-Madras section was started in 1899. It was extended to Howrah in 1900. As of 2022, The state has a total broad-gauge railway route of 3,969 km (2,466 mi) with rail density at 24.36 km per 1000 square kilometres. The railway network in Andhra Pradesh is under the South Central railway, East Coast railway, and South Western railway zones. During 2014–2022, 350 km of new lines were constructed at a rate of 44 km per year in Andhra Pradesh under the South Central railway division. The rate of construction was only 2 km per year in the preceding five years. The Nadikudi–Srikalahasti line of 308.70 km sanctioned at a budget of ₹ 22.89 billion (US$270 million) in 2011–12 as a joint project of the centre and state is progressing slowly, with only phase one of 46 km between New Piduguralla station and Savalyapuram completed in 2021–22. There are three A1 and 23 A-category railway stations in the state, as per the assessment in 2017. Visakhapatnam was declared the cleanest railway station in the country, as per the assessment in 2018. The railway station in Shimiliguda is the second broad gauge railway station at high altitude in the country next to Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir. A new railway zone South Coast railway (SCoR), with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, was announced in 2019, but is yet to be implemented.