Broad gauge conversion between Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai will be completed by the end of the year, said Deepak Krishan, General Manager, Southern Railway, at Tiruvarur on Friday.
He told reporters that more trains would be available for people from Tiruvaur, Nagapattinam, Nagore Velankanni to Chennai once the work was completed.
The General Manager, along with P.V. Vaidialingam, Divisional Railway Manager Tiruchi, Narayanan, Chief Engineer, M. Mohan, Chief Safety Officer, Patnaik, Chief Manager (operations), inspected the railway track, level crossings, and stations on the Thanjavur-Tiruvarur-Nagapattinam route on Friday.
The officials inspected Saliyamangalam, Needamangalam and Tiruvarur railway stations and the General Manager appreciated authorities for the excellent maintenance of Tiruvarur station.
Broad gauge section
He said that Thanjavur-Tiruvarur broad gauge section was opened to traffic in 2006 and Tiruvarur-Nagore section in 2010.
On the possibility of attaching coaches from Tiruvarur to the Chennai-bound Cholan Express, Mr. Krishan said that it was not possible as trains were being operated end-to-end. However, he promised to look into the matter.
Our Nagapattinam staff reporter adds:
Conducting a day-long inspection along the BG line from Thanjavur to Nagore Mr. Krishan, said that the annual inspection carried jointly with various department heads was necessary gauge infrastructural and service deficiencies, if any, and find means to address them.
In Nagapattinam, the sharp curve near the railway gate, ten meters from Nagapattinam railway station, was the site of inspection. The team ascertained the possibility for a smoothened turn in place of the existing sharp curve that restricted the speed of trains.
“We wanted to work out some method to reduce the sharpness of the curve, so that speed of the trains remain unhindered at this point,” Mr. Krishan said.
