With track doubling work between Valadi and Kallakudi Palanganatham in the Tiruchi – Ariyalur broad gauge section completed, the stage is set for the inspection of the stretch by S.K. Mittal, Commissioner of Railway Safety.
Mr. Mittal will conduct both trolley inspection and a speed trial run on the 25-km stretch from Valadi to Kallakudi Palanganatham on May 17. Accompanied by top railway officers from the Tiruchi Railway Division, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and the Construction Organisation of Southern Railway, Mr. Mittal will commence the inspection from the Kallakudi Palanganatham side, according to railway officials here. The stretch, with four major bridges, 80 minor bridges, 13 level crossings, and four stations, has been completed at a cost of Rs. 100 crore.
The work was taken up as part of 270-km Villupuram-Dindigul doubling project being executed by the RVNL, a Government of India enterprise and a Special Purpose Vehicle floated to take up project development and implement projects pertaining to strengthening of golden quadrilateral and port connectivity. The project cost exceeds Rs. 1,000 crore.
The RVNL had started the track doubling work on the stretch from Valadi to Ariyalur covering 50 km in 2011. It was split into two portions — from Valadi to Kallakudi Palanganatham (25 km) and from Kallakudi Palanganatham to Ariyalur (25 km) and works on both stretches commenced simultaneously.
The 50-km Valadi-Ariyalur stretch was taken up for track doubling work as it happened to be a crucial segment on the 178-km Villupuram-Tiruchi chord line section.
The work of laying a second track was taken up on a priority basis on this stretch to ease congestion especially at night when rail traffic movement was heavy.
Inspection by the CRS was mandatory and passenger train services could be operated on the new track only after obtaining his clearance. The CRS would primarily assess whether the additional track met the required safety standards as per norms, a top divisional railway officer here said.
Railway officials say doubling work on the remaining stretch from Kallakudi Palanganatham to Ariyalur was expected to be completed by September. As part of the doubling work, new bridges were under construction across the Cauvery and the Coleroon in Tiruchi.
The length of the new bridge across the Coleroon would be around 900 metres, while the one across the Cauvery would be 600 metres.
