With INS Parundhum the Indian Naval Air Station at Uchipuli near here, objecting to the present rail alignment between Valantharavai and Uchipuli railway stations for extension of its runway, Southern Railway is planning a detour, Southern Railway General Manager John Thomas said.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Mr. Thomas said that INS Parundhu denied permission to take up electrification work between Valantharavai and Uchipuli. With the proposal to open the defence airfield for civilian traffic under UDAN scheme, the railway has been asked to realign the tracks to facilitate the runway extension work, said Divisional Railway Manager, P. Ananth.
Stating that the new alignment had not been finsalised, Mr. Thomas said that it needed consultation with the State government as the realignment would warrant land acquisition.
When his attention was drawn to the long-pending demand of resuming Madurai-Rameswaram passenger train service, he said that the proposal was pending with the Railway Board.
“Indian Railway has not resumed passenger services under the COVID-19 condition. In few places they are run as unreserved express trains. Only when we come out of the pandemic, we can resume passenger train services,” he added.
The detailed project report (DPR) for Dhanushkodi rail link project had been submitted and work would start upon getting sanction, Mr. Thomas added.
