The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mayiladuturai-Kumbakonam BG service from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Mayiladuturai-Kumbakonam BG service from today

K.Subramanian

MAYILADUTURAI: Train services will be introduced on the newly laid 30.6-km broad gauge line between Mayiladuturai and Kumbakonam on Saturday. A special passenger train will be flagged off by Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar at Mayiladuturai at 5 p.m.

Minister of State for Railways R.Velu will preside over the function. TN Minister for Co-operation Ko.Si.Mani and a large number of Railway officials will participate in the function.

The Kumbakonam-Mayiladuturai metre gauge section was closed for broad gauge conversion more than a year ago and the gauge conversion work began in April 2005 at a cost of Rs.40 crore. Commissioner of Railway Safety Pranab Kumar Sen conducted a high-speed trial run on the newly laid tract and certified that the section was fit for operating passenger trains.

The Southern Railway had earlier decided to operate passenger train services on the new BG line from May 21 but the function was cancelled at the last minute due to administrative reasons.

The people of Mayiladuturai and Kumbakonam, which fall under the Mayiladuturai parliamentary constituency are now happy about the inauguration of this service.

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