The Hindu : Kerala News : Feasibility of speeding up trains to be examined

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Feasibility of speeding up trains to be examined

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 29 . Enthused by the speed trial conducted between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Kayamkulam recently, Railways have decided to examine the feasibility of speeding up trains between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram in the next timetable.

The speed trial conducted by the Thiruvananthapuram Division has revealed that the distance between the two cities via Kottayam could be covered in just three hours. The trial was conducted using a high-speed loco and with a sleeper class coach, luggage van and another coach equipped with track recording car.

Railway sources told The Hindu that the high-speed loco which left Ernakulam station at 9 a.m. arrived at the Central station here at 12.15 p.m. It touched 115-120 km per hour in some sections between Ernakulam and Kottayam which are considered vulnerable by the authorities. At present, it takes on an average five hours to cover the distance. On an average, the maximum speed attained by a train now in the Ernakulam-Kottayam stretch is 60 km per hour and 80 km per hour in the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam sector.

Speed limit

Although the permissible speed in the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam single lane stretch and in the double line between Kayamkulam and Thiruvananthapuram is 90 km per hour, the speed attained by the train is only 80 km per hour due to a host of reasons. Sources said the time lost in the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam stretch is made up in the other sector.

The distance between Kayamkulam and Thiruvananthapuram was covered during the trial in just one hour with the loco touching 120 km per hour in the stretch. However, the loco had to slow down to 70-80 km per hour in stretches where there were bridges and curves. It had to be further slowed down while coming through the bridge across the Ashtamudi Lake.

The distance from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Ernakulam via Alappuzha, in the return direction of the speed trial, was covered in two hours and five minutes. The speed trial was carried out under the supervision of the Divisional Railway Manager, G. Narayanan, the Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Sujatha Jayaraj, and the Senior Divisional Engineer, Shaji Zachariah.

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