The Thanjavur District Rail Users’ Association has urged the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to sanction a new project for track doubling of the Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai section. The section is a high density network necessitating track doubling with electrification on a priority basis, it stated in a memorandum submitted to the minister recently.
Three important ‘A category’ stations - Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai - dot the section and together they brought in more than Rs. 34.86 crore during 2013-14. During the previous two fiscals, they had earned Rs. 31.82 crore and Rs. 29.90 crore indicating a steady rise in revenue from the section. Intermediate express train halting stations such as Papanasam and Aduthurai bring in at least Rs. one crore each annually.
Pointing to the intense rail traffic in the Thanjavur-Mayiladuthurai section, member, Divisional Rail Users’ Consultative Committee and vice-president of the association A. Giri, says 14 daily express, two Jan Shatabdi, 10 daily passenger services, six weekly express trains, four bi-weekly super fast express trains and two tri-weekly express trains pass through the section. The 70-km single line section witnesses 33 passenger train crossings daily apart from goods train traffic resulting in inordinate delay.
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