The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Railways seek approval for Tindivanam-Nagari route

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Railways seek approval for Tindivanam-Nagari route

Special Correspondent

Proposal to be sent to Planning Commission

VELLORE: The project of introducing a new rail route from Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu to Nagari in Andhra Pradesh would be proposed to the Planning Commission for its approval since the economic appraisal of the project envisages 11 per cent profits to the railways, according to Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu .

Only 25 per cent of the railway track in Tamil Nadu has been electrified. The Villupuram-Kanyakumari and Maniyachi-Tuticorin broad gauge track would be electrified this year. If proposals were sent by the state government, more trains could be introduced on the electrified routes, Mr.Velu said while inaugurating an additional school building constructed under the MPs Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in the Panchayat Union Middle School in Arapakkam village in Arcot Panchayat Union, 12 km from here on Tuesday.

The railway minister said that work on 142 railway overbridges (ROBs) were in progress in Tamil Nadu, and he has requested the State's highways minister, Vellakkoil Swaminathan to send proposals for construction of ROBs across 55 level-crossings in the state. The railways has planned to build ROBs across 104 level-crossings in Tamil Nadu this year, considering that 40 per cent of the railway accidents occurred in level-crossings.

Mr.Velu said that the railways has sanctioned the broad-gauge doubling project for Dindigul-Pollachi-Aliyar, the Villupuram-Chingleput and Virudhunagar-Manamadurai lines, and BG conversion of the Thiruvarur-Nagoor and Thanjavur-Mayiladuthurai metre gauge track. Out of the 4,000 kms of MG track in India, 1,800 kms were in Tamil Nadu. Of this, BG conversion has been taken up on a major portion, leaving only 324 track kms to be covered, namely that of the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruthuraipoondi and Madurai-Bodinayackanur MG track. The latter would be taken up next year. All the gauge conversion works in the State would be completed in the next five years. The railways planned to increase its profits from Rs.11,000 crore to Rs.20,000 crore, he said.

Mr.Velu said that he has sanctioned 40 school buildings under MPLADS this year. The entire grant of Rs.2 crore was utilised for additional school buildings last year.

B.R.K. Ramesh, project officer, District Rural Development Agency welcomed the gathering. MLAs, R. Gandhi (Ranipet) and K.L. Elavazagan (Arcot) spoke on the occasion.

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