The complete track renewal (CTR) work being undertaken in the Kulashekara old tunnel on the Mangaluru-Mumbai Railway Line will considerably improve operation of trains — coaching (passenger) as well as freight — in and around Mangaluru Railway Region upon its completion in March first week, say Railway engineers.
The operations for signalling and complete track renewal works by Southern Railways Palakkad Division were taken up from February 6, 2023 had caused disruptions in passenger service train operations. | Photo Credit: H. S. Manjunath
CTR in the old tunnel was being undertaken after the commissioning of the second tunnel in March last year. Southern Railway’s Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Trilok Kothari had said CTR would be done at the earliest to derive the maximum benefit from both the tunnels to reduce congestion at Mangaluru Junction.
CTR in the old tunnel was being undertaken after the commissioning of the second tunnel in March 2022. | Photo Credit: H. S. Manjunath
Constructed in 1965 for a meter gauge line that was converted to broad gauge in 1992, the 600 metre Kulashekara tunnel initially constructed to connect New Mangalore Port had not undergone any major maintenance as well as CTR so far, said Vijay Sundar, Additional Divisional Engineer in Mangaluru.
Though new rails and sleepers were laid during the gauge conversion done on deposit work when Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) laid the lines north of Jokatte, ballast change and other maintenance works appear not to have been done. Consequently, trains were running at reduced speed of 20 kmph through the tunnel. After March 2022, the additional tunnel was being used for up-trains (towards Mumbai) and the old one for down-trains (towards Mangaluru Junction/Padil).
The complete track renewal (CTR) work being undertaken in the Kulashekara tunnel on the Mangaluru-Mumbai Railway Line will considerably improve operation of trains in and around Mangaluru Railway Region. | Photo Credit: H. S. Manjunath
Trains could run up to 80 kmph speed once the CTR gets completed by March first week thus saving five to eight minutes of running time, Mr. Sundar said. The Southern Railway was undertaking such a massive exercise perhaps for the first time, he added.
Work at brisk pace
Trains could run up to 80 kmph speed once the CTR gets completed by March first week thus saving five to eight minutes of running time | Photo Credit: H. S. Manjunath
The railwaymen initially shifted the signalling system from the old tunnel to the new one (non-interlocking) for three days in the first week of February. Thereafter, the electric traction was disabled in the old tunnel.
Rails, sleepers and ballasts for the entire length of the track were removed before providing adequate cushioning for ballast, spreading new ballast and laying new sleepers and new rails. As the region was prone to water percolation, adequate drainage lines were being provided, he said.
Surface testing
Rails, sleepers and ballasts for the entire length of the track were removed before providing adequate cushioning for ballast, spreading new ballast and laying new sleepers and new rails. | Photo Credit: H. S. Manjunath
Mr. Sundar said testing of the tunnel’s surface was being undertaken to check its strength since it was an ‘in-lined’ tunnel with concrete protection on the upper portion. While modern tunnels are constructed providing space for track renewal/ laying machinery, work should be undertaken manually in the old tunnel which has a width of 5.1 to 5.2 metre.
Rock bolting and rock netting would also be done on the outer portions at both the ends of the old tunnel to prevent any rock fall or landslip before the monsoon, Mr. Sundar added.
