The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Rly. passenger earnings up by seven per cent

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Rly. passenger earnings up by seven per cent

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, OCT. 15. The railways' passenger earnings have gone up by seven per cent in the last four months, the Minister of State for Railways, R. Velu, said today.

Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the Central Workshops, Goldenrock, he said the freight earnings had shot up by five per cent.

He said Rs. 210 crores had been allocated for enhancing amenities in stations across the country, and Rs. 21 crores would be spent on improving amenities in stations under the Southern Railways.

The fifth platform in the Tiruchi Junction would be upgraded, and the metre-gauge track converted as broad gauge to receive more trains, he said.

As part of the effort to provide quality dishes to passengers, Mr. Velu said, food plazas were being opened in major stations. Sixteen food plazas had been allotted to the Southern Railways, of which seven were in Tamil Nadu. These outlets would be opened at Chennai Beach, Chennai Park and Coimbatore in near future.

On the demand for running more trains in the Tiruchi-Thanjavur sector, Mr. Velu said the railways was facing a shortage of coaches.

Low-container flat wagons flagged off

Mr. Velu also flagged off the second rake of 45 low-container flat wagons at the workshops, where they were manufactured.

The high-speed container wagons, manufactured for the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), can run at a speed of 100 km an hour.

The new generation wagon, with a single pipe air brake system, has automatic twist locks to hold the containers in position. The wagons have been fitted with automatic load sensing devices to obtain adequate brake power under varying loads.

The first rake of wagons were despatched on September 15.

He also visited various facilities at the workshop and inspected the `Cape Gauge' diesel locomotives, being manufactured for the Sudanese Railway Corporation.

The Chief Workshop Manager, G.R.K. Raju, the Tiruchi Divisional Railway Manager D.K. Saraf, and the Southern Railway Chief Mechanical Engineer, Jayantha Ghosh accompanied the minister.

Food plaza opened

Earlier, he inaugurated the food plaza, a multi-cuisine restaurant, at the Junction.

The Tiruchi MP, L. Ganesan, the Mayor, Sarubala R. Thondaiman, and the Divisional Railway Manager, D.K. Saraf, were present.

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