Work on doubling of metre gauge into broad gauge (BG) work on Karaikudi–Pattukottai segment has been taken up in Aranthangi area. The entire old metre gauge track has been cleared at Aranthangi and work on constructing culverts has been taken up.
This was the last metre gauge section to be upgraded into BG section by Southern Railway, and the train was operated last on October 19, 2012 for facilitating the expansion work.
The current work, to a length of 74 km, is being executed in four packages — Pattukottai to Peravurani, Pattukottai to Ayinkudi, Ayinkudi to Aranthangi, and Aranthangi to Karaikudi.
“We have completed the work on construction of minor and major culverts between Karaikudi and Peravurani. We have fixed a four-month deadline for completing the work between Pattukottai and Peravurani,” sources told The Hindu at Aranthangi in Pudukottai district on Thursday.
The gauge conversion work on Pattukottai–Karaikudi segment forms part of the gauge conversion of 149-km Tiruvarur–Karaikudi section. The century-old metre gauge was laid by the British and the first train was operated on October 20, 1902. The Tiruvarur-Pattukottai line forms part of the erstwhile Mayavaram-Muthupettai segment that was established on April 2, 1894, by South Indian Railway Company. According to official sources, the gauge conversion work had been taken up at an estimate of Rs.1,400 crore, including Rs. 300 crore for Pattukottai–Karaikudi segment.
