The effective steps taken by the Salem Railway Division has put an end to the water crisis for watering the long distance trains in Erode Railway Junction, said Vashistha Johri, General Manager, Southern Railway, here on Friday.
Acute water shortage was reported in Erode Junction due to the scorching sun and dry Cauvery river bed, which was the main source of water supply to Erode Junction for watering the trains.
On a few occasions, passengers of long distance trains resorted to agitations at Erode Junction demanding filling of water.
Pumping station
Despite the challenging situation, the Salem Railway Division took effective steps for sinking new borewells and setting up new pumping station on a war-footing deep inside the river Cauvery bed near Erode for supplying adequate water to Erode Junction, Mr. Johri told presspersons after dedicating a heritage steam loco with a coach at the Salem Railway Divisional office here on Friday.
The initiative has proved successful and the problem of scarcity of water for the trains has been solved permanently, he said. The initiative of the Salem Railway Division has been so effective that the Erode Junction will not face any water scarcity for watering the trains for the next two decades, Mr. Johri said.
Sanctioned
On the electrification of the Tiruchi – Erode section, Mr. Johri said that the Railway Board has already sanctioned the project with financial support from external sources.
The Southern Railway is waiting for the right partner for outsourcing the funds. He said not only private concerns, even the Life Insurance Corporation of India or financial institutions, could invest in this project.
Paucity of coaches
When his attention was drawn to the cancellation of more than half-a-dozen summer special trains in Salem Railway Division within a few weeks of operation, Mr. Johri said it was due to the paucity of adequate coaches and poor patronage. The Railways is prepared to run special trains in case of any special need.
On the shortage of coaches, the General Manager said that many old coaches are getting over-aged and condemned. Of the three coach producing units at Perambur, Raebarely and Kapurthala, the Southern Railway has been receiving coaches from Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur. The Railway Board has sanctioned new coaches to the Southern Railway which are expected from the ICF, Perambalur in the month of July.
The receipt of new coaches will enable in introduction of new trains and increasing the number of coaches in the existing trains, he said.
Replying to a question on privatisation move, Mr. Johri said that at present the Railways has called for tender applications for the privatisation of 23 railway stations across the country, including Chennai Central and Calicut in Palakkad division in Southern Railway.
There is a possibility of Chenni Egmore station too being included in the list, he added.
Hari Shankar Verma, DRM, Seema Johri, president, Southern Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation, Anita Verma, Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation, Salem Division, were present on the occasion.
