Speed trials on stretch between Channapatna–Settihalli tomorrow

March 10, 2013 10:04 am | Updated 10:04 am IST - MYSORE:

Speed trials on the newly laid track between Channapatna and Settihalli, taken up as part of the Bangalore–Mysore track-doubling work, will be held on Monday. This will mark the completion of 50 per cent of the work.

Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle), Bangalore, will conduct the speed trials after noon. Trains will run at over 100 kmph on the newly laid double line.

A release said that subsequently, regular train services will be introduced on the new line, covering a distance of 6.8 km.

The public has been advised to be cautious near the level-crossing gates and along the railway line. Trespassers are liable to be prosecuted, the release added.

Sources in the Railways told The Hindu that the completion of the track-doubling work up to Settihalli from Bangalore works out to 62.3km, while 7 km of track-doubling work has been completed between Mysore and Naganahalli, taking the total work completed so far to 69.3km, which is half the distance between Bangalore and Mysore (139 km).

The new stretch may be declared fit for operations once the Commissioner of Railway Safety gives his report in a few weeks.

Commuters travelling between Bangalore and Mysore will then save considerable time. Trains will no longer need to stop at Settihalli for crossing to make way for trains coming from the opposite direction.

Next on the agenda

The next stretch that the authorities are looking to complete work on is between Maddur and Hanakere. The deadline for its completion, as per the Railway Budget last month, is March 31 this year.

However, sources said that work may be delayed by a couple of months and it may be completed only by July.

It is pertinent to note that the stretch between Settihalli and Maddur cannot be completed as the major bridge across the Shimsha is not ready and may take up to a year to be completed.

Likewise, from the Mysore-end, there are two major bridges to be laid across the Cauvery at Srirangapatna. It is expected to take between 12 to 18 months for the work to be completed. The shifting of the armoury at Srirangapatna (for which the National Monuments Authority has accorded its permission) will also take about six months from the date of commencement of the work.

In all probability, the completion of track-doubling work between Bangalore and Mysore may overrun the 2013 deadline and may be completed only by the end of 2014, said the sources.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.