Southern Railway — Palakkad Division is planning to construct a speed trial run on the new Pollachi-Palakkad BG line on September 9, 2015 (Wednesday) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
A release from the Palakkad Division said that in accordance with the advice of Deputy Chief Engineer, Gauge Conversion at Podanur, speed trials have to be conducted prior to the inspection of Commissioner of Railway Safety and subsequent commissioning of the section.
Speed trial will be conducted using one diesel engine augmented only with a luggage-cum-brake van at an average speed of 80 Kilometre per hour.
The test run will be conducted between 09.00 hours and 17.00 hours. Similar test runs will continue until the section is inspected by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
The public are cautioned not to cross the railway track and refrain from working in proximity of railway lines.
Caution advised
Public and road vehicle users are requested to remain extra vigilant at the level crossings in the section.
Speed trial marks the completion of the gauge conversion on this 55-km stretch, which was taken up as part of the Podanur-Pollachi, Pollachi-Palakkad, Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul section.
With now gauge conversion works having been completed on all sections up to Pollachi and now with speed trials up to Palakkad, the Podanur-Pollachi section remains an island with the gauge conversion works not being completed.
The island section has resulted in the western part of the State being cut off from southern part.
After trouble over land acquisition and then financial constraints, the project is progressing now and expectations are that it should be thrown open for passenger traffic by mid-2016.
