The Southern Railway Construction Organisation will soon take up the ‘final location survey’ for track doubling of Tiruchi - Karur broad gauge section.
This follows the approval given by the Railway Board, New Delhi, to carry out the survey on the single line stretch, exceeding 75 km,, through which some inter-State trains originating from Tiruchi Railway Division are operated.
Railway sources said the survey was expected to be taken up before this month-end, and the detailed exercise would take about three months for completion. A host of aspects would be covered while conducting the survey including fixation of alignment for track doubling on the stretch, yard doubling, traffic potential on the route and the rate of return.
The approximate cost for track doubling of Tiruchi - Karur section would be prepared as part of the survey. The detailed report would be prepared upon completion of the survey and submitted to Southern Railway headquarters at Chennai. It would be sent to the Railway Board, New Delhi, seeking approval and sanction for the doubling project.
The Tiruchi - Karur electrified stretch witnesses movement of inter-state trains such as Mayiladuthurai - Mysuru - Mayiladuthurai; Chennai Egmore - Mangaluru- Chennai; Ernakulam - Karaikal - Ernakulam; Puducherry - Mangaluru (via Tiruchi) expresses besides the Tiruchi - Palakkad - Tiruchi trains. In addition to these, the section also witnesses operation of the Coimbatore - Mayiladuthurai - Coimbatore Jan Shatabdhi expresses and short distance trains from Erode to Tiruchi and from Karur to Tiruchi besides movement of freight trains.
The Southern Railway Construction Organisation is now carrying out the final location survey for track doubling of Thanjavur - Tiruvarur - Karaikal broad gauge section, which comes under the jurisdiction of Tiruchi Railway Division.
The Karaikal - Thanjavur stretch is among the important sections in the division witnessing brisk movement of freight especially from Karaikal Port to various destinations. Substantial revenue is being earned by the division through transportation of coal by freight trains from Karaikal Port.
