CHENNAI: Southern Railway has sent a proposal to the Railway Board for electrification of the Villupuram-Tiruchi broad gauge (BG) section.

Southern Railway General Manager Thomas Varghese told The Hindu here on Friday, that electrification was imperative due to the phenomenal increase in passenger traffic. The rate of return on investment for the electrified track would be of the order of 18 per cent, which would make it viable. The State Government was considering Southern Railway's request for a concession in power tariff for this section, he said.

Mr. Varghese said the Minister of State for Railways, R. Velu, was keen on taking up this project soon. Officials of the Centre for Railway Electrification here said that the 160-km project would cost about Rs. 88 crores and could be completed in two years. The General Manager said that the electrification of the Villupuram-Pondicherry newly laid BG section would be completed before December-end. The Pondicherry Government agreed to meet 50 per cent of the capital cost.

The Vriddhachalam-Salem, the Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai, the Thanjavur-Tiruvarur, Tiruchi-Pudukottai and the Manamadurai-Mandapam gauge conversion projects were targeted for completion in the current financial year. The zone had been sanctioned Rs. 127 crores including Rs. 63 crores for track renewal. A train protection warning system would be fitted in 84 EMU coaches in the Chennai suburban section at a cost of Rs. 53 crores, an anti-collision device for the Chennai-Ernakulam section at a cost of Rs. 53 crores and train accentuated warning devices at seven manned and three unmanned level crossing gates as a pilot project.

Work was going on to provide more platforms, extension of platforms and on pit lines at the Coimbatore junction at a cost of Rs. 12.6 crores, he said.

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