Saturday, Dec 28, 2002
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002 |
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Tamil Nadu
By S. Vydhianathan
Recently the Centre for Railway Electrification completed the work between Chengalpattu and Villupuram. The Commissioner of Railway Safety will inspect the track on January 3. As work between Egmore and Chengalpattu is already over, the electrified track will be available right from Villupuram to Egmore. After the mandatory certification by the Safety Commissioner, the track will be handed over to the Southern Railway. Once the electrified track is available for passenger traffic, all south-bound BG express and passenger trains will be hauled by electric locomotives between Egmore and Villupuram in both directions and by diesel locos beyond. The change of traction will mean some reduction in running time. Apart from electrification, an electric locomotive shed and other infrastructure are provided at Villupuram Junction, where there will be change of traction from diesel to electric and vice-versa. After this assignment, the CORE will take up the Kancheepuram-Arakkonam work. Till a few weeks ago, there was a dispute between defence and railway authorities, as the line from Takkolam to Arakkonam runs close to the Rajali naval airbase. The railway authorities agreed to shift the line but wanted the defence department to bear the cost of the detour, which demand, however, was not acceptable to the Defence department. But now it has agreed to meet the additional cost.
`Extend work up to Tiruchi'
Meanwhile, railway officials here say there is no point having an electrified track only up to Villupuram and it should be extended to Madurai or at least up to Tiruchi. The late Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, as Union Minister for Power, suggested that electrification be done at least up to Tiruchi, his constituency. Now nobody is pushing this proposal. Even at the recent meeting between the Tamil Nadu MPs and the Railway Minister, there was no mention of extension of the electrified track. As the Railway Ministry is against taking up electrification in any State without the respective Government providing concessional power tariff, the Southern Railway wants Tamil Nadu to lower the tariff.
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