Saturday, Apr 09, 2005
Saturday, Apr 09, 2005 |
| Tamil Nadu | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Tamil Nadu
By S. Vydhianathan
CHENNAI, APRIL 8. The Railway Board has turned down the Southern Railway's suggestion to postpone the Tiruchi -Pudukottai gauge conversion work for a few more years for operational reasons. Zonal authorities here in their letter to the Board requested for retaining the metre gauge link to Golden Rock railway workshop from Katpadi (Vellore) via Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Kariakudi and Pudukottai. The link was vital for bringing the MG coaches and diesel engines to the workshop for periodic overhauling (POH), the letter pointed out. Even now Southern Railway finds it difficult to overhaul the MG coaches and diesel engines, as there are a number of island MG sections in the zone. These include Salem-Attur, Tiruchendur-Tiruneleveli-Tenkasi, Madurai-Dindigul-Coimbatore, Madurai-Bodinayakanur and Tenkasi-Punalur sections. As POH is vital for safe operations, the authorities are actually carrying the MG coaches and diesel engines from these sections to the workshop through broad gauge trains. Despite the difficulty, Southern Railway was doing it to keep the MG coaches and engines fit for operation, said a senior railway official. These isolated MG sections were small ones, where a few coaches and engines were in operation. If the Tiruchi-Pudukottai section was taken up for conversion, it would sever the major portion of the MG section from the workshop. So the authorities asked the Board to permit them to take up the conversion of the Manamadurai-Karaikudi MG stretch of the Tiruchi-Manamadurai section first and then the Karaikudi-Tiruchi section as this would enable them to maintain the link for some more time. But the Board rejected the demand.
Coach maintenance
As maintenance of coaches and engines was paramount, Southern Railway wanted to retain the MG line from Tiruchi to Karaikudi. For this, it had two options. It had either to lay a parallel broad-gauge line or make it a mixed gauge line. For either of the options, Southern Railway had to incur additional expenses. But that was unavoidable as the coaches were to be overhauled periodically at any cost. The authorities pointed out that in the Virudhunagar-Tenkasi-Quilon project the original proposal was to take up the conversion work from Quilon side. But due to political pressure, they were forced to convert the Virudhunagar-Tenkasi stretch. This resulted in many operational problems whenever there were accidents on the Quilon-Tenkasi MG section. Only then, the authorities decided to actually carry the MG coaches and engines to the workshop for POH. Southern Railway explained these difficulties to the Board in its justification for taking up the work from Manamadurai side for the Tiruchi-Karaikudi- Manamadurai section. But the Board turned it down, the official added.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2005, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
