Union Minister V Somanna flaggs off Tirupati–Sainagar Shirdi Express

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V Somanna on Tuesday flagged off the Tirupati–Sainagar Shirdi Express through video conferencing from Rail Bhawan.

The launch of the Tirupati–Sainagar Shirdi Express delivers multiple far-reaching benefits by significantly strengthening rail connectivity across four states - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

By directly linking two of India’s most prominent pilgrimage destinations, Tirupati and Shirdi, the service enhances convenience for pilgrims.

Addressing the gathering, Somanna said the new train now connected by a direct train with 31 stops at important places, including Nellore, Guntur, Secunderabad, Bidar, Manmad, and others.

He said that this new train will provide direct connectivity from Maharashtra, North Karnataka, and Secunderabad. Along its route, it will also connect Parli Vaijnath, an important Shiva temple.

The Union Minister of State highlighted that Andhra Pradesh has witnessed remarkable growth in rail infrastructure since 2014. He noted that while the average rail budget during 2009–14 for AP and Telangana was Rs 886 crore, it has risen to Rs 9,417 crore in 2025–26, an eleven-fold increase. Ongoing projects in the state are worth over Rs 93,000 crore.

B C Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Roads & Buildings, Infrastructure & Investments, Government of Andhra Pradesh joined the event as a chief guest.