Railways to carry out major overhauling works

Enormous difficulties lay ahead for the motor vehicles users as Railways is to commence major overhauling works near the railway level crossing No: 133 situated close to the Tirupur railway station from Friday.

The section is one of the major crossovers between Tirupur-Uthukuli highway and the northern side of Tirupur city.

Officials in the Railways told

The Hindu that since the works package include replacement of the damaged height gauges kept on both ends of the level crossing to prevent goods vehicles with loads beyond permissible limits to cross the railway track, raising of ground level of the track and replacement of worn out rails, the level crossing would have to be closed continuously for a stretch of many days.

Though the official notification stated that the level crossing would be closed for seven days, the officials in the Railways indicated that the closure could go up to 10 days.During the said 10 days, the trains would be passing through the stretch at only 20 km/hour speed, the officials pointed out.

For the vehicle users, the 10-day period would be a harrowing experience due to lack of good quality alternate crossovers.

The underpass situated between the level crossing No: 133 and 132 is too small to allow bigger vehicles to pass through. The heavy vehicles will then have to depend on crossing No: 132 but there too the bus stops situated on the mouth of the gate could end up in traffic chaos.

P. Somasundaram, secretary of Tirupur Consumer Voice, pointed out that if the departments concerned had either executed the road over bridge (ROB) planned across the railway track a decade ago itself or completed the work of road under bridge (RUB) which was left halfway in the stretch, the difficulties for the road users could have been avoided in the circumstances arisen out of closing the gate No: 133.