City-based NGO People’s Pulse has urged the Lieutenant Governor A. K. Singh to actively pursue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the upgradation of rail connectivity of Puducherry.
Lauding the Lt. Governor for taking up the issue of improving Puducherry’s rail infrastructure as a means of accelerating development in the region, People’s Pulse pointed out that with road transport services having reached saturation levels, the way ahead lay in augmenting the existing link line to Villupuram and laying new lines connecting to Cuddalore via Tindivanam and to Chennai via Mamallapuram.
The ambitious project linking Cuddalore and Chennai via Puducherry remained a non-starter in spite of being announced in 2008. However, Southern Railway had included this line in the list of five projects proposed for funding in the Global Investors’ Meet being convened by Tamil Nadu in September.
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The Chennai-Mamallapuram-Puducherry-Cuddalore line has a length of about 180 km with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,950 crore.
As enunciated in the Union Railway Minister’s Budget address, the Government of India expects participation of State Governments in new line projects. In this context, the Union territory might need to form a Special Purpose Vehicle to work out cost and profit-sharing formulae. As the constitution of an SPV was outside the wherewithal of the UT and required financial support of the Centre, People’s Pulse urged the Lt. Governor to appeal to the Prime Minister and Railway Minister in this regard.
The NGO also pointed to Southern Railway’s Tiruchi Division announcing work for running suburban electric train services (MEMU) between Villupuram and Puducherry.
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“This step in itself will be of little use as there is only one crossing station in between. Unless more crossing stations are introduced the frequency of trains will be poor.”
People’s Pulse urged Mr. Singh to take up the case for a comprehensive plan to improve infrastructure for operating shuttles at 15 minute intervals on this single line section. “This step would greatly reduce travel time between the two towns, help long distance passengers take trains operated in the mainline at Villupuram Jn, and drastically reduce road traffic congestion in the route,” the NGO said.