A little bit of railway “history” is set to be created with the full stretch of broad gauge double track between Mysuru and Bengaluru becoming operational on Sunday.
E.Viajaya, Chief PRO, South Western Railway, Hubballi, said minor alterations suggested by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) was in the process of being incorporated and passenger trains will start using the stretch from the early hours of Sunday.
Track doubling along the 139-km stretch between the two cities was taken up in 2007 and 137.5 km of track length was doubled and was operational since 2014. But a stretch of nearly 1.5 km near Srirangapatna was incomplete as the 18th century armoury belonging to the Tipu era lay perpendicular to the second track alignment.
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The Archaeological Survey of India issued permission for the second track subject to the shifting of the monument intact without dismantling it. This delayed the works and the railways, which lacked expertise in shifting monuments, roped in a U.S. firm and completed the work in March this year. Consequent to completion of the civil works, including the two new bridges across the Cauvery at Srirangapatna, the statutory inspection of the stretch was conducted on November 6 by the CRS. He submitted a report on November 9 expressing satisfaction over the work and authorised the opening of the said double line for both passenger and freight traffic at a maximum permissible speed of 80 kmph.