More train services would be introduced on Dindigul-Pollachi section, said Railway Divisional Manager Neenu Ittyerah here on Wednesday.
Addressing the 63rd Railway Week celebration, Ms. Neenu said the Dindigul-Pollachi section remained under-utilised. Despite additional traffic blocks taken up across the division for various safety-related works, including those pending for sometime, Madurai division had operated more number of trains and carried more number of passengers in 2017-18.
The division saw a 4.4% increase in number of passengers carried, from 427 lakhs to 446 lakhs than the previous fiscal and 71% increase in number of specials run during festivals and holidays (489 services to 838 services).
“Twelve express and three passenger trains had been permanently augmented during the year. The augmentation of passenger trains when there was a huge surge in number of passengers turning to trains following increase in bus fare helped a lot of passengers and also helped railways to get additional revenue,” she said.
Stating that Madurai division won three shields for best performance in the Southern Railway - inter-divisional safety shield, medical efficiency shield and inter-divisional Rajbhasha rolling shield, she said bagging the inter-divisional safety shield revealed that employees of every department had put in sincere efforts.
Similarly, on the safety front, there had been a substantial increase in targeted maintenance works with close to 27 km of track renewal being done as against only 9.3 last fiscal. Other engineering works such as renewal of fittings had also increased from 1.5 km to 23.2 km.
In addition, three officers and nine employees of this division had received individual awards from the General Manager of Southern Railway.
She disbursed cash awards to 179 individual employees, 19 group awards consisting 135 employees, seven special awards and 18 rolling shields toemployees / best maintained stations, units etc., for meritorious contribution.
Additional Divisional Railway Managers P.V. Murali Krishna and O.P.Shaw, Divisional Personnel Officer R. Kannan, Chief Medical Superintendent G .Sahoo were present.
