The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Rail route proposal to be sent to plan panel

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Rail route proposal to be sent to plan panel

Special Correspondent

Velu felicitated for role in obtaining sanction for Tindivanam-Nagari route

Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

The beginning: Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu lighting the traditional lamp at the foundation laying ceremony for the Arni railway station at Irumbedu on Friday. Food Minister E.V. Velu (fourth from left), Vandavasi MP Gingee N. Ramachandran (third from left) and Vellore MP K.M. Khader Mohideen (left) look on. —

ARNI: The proposal to provide a rail route from Tiruvannamalai to Jolarpet via Chengam would be sent to the Planning Commission for “in principle” sanction, Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said on Friday.

He was speaking at a function organised by the Federation of Traders’ Associations of Arni at Irumbedu near here to felicitate him for his role in obtaining the sanction of the Finance Ministry for the 180-km rail route from Tindivanam to Nagari via Arni.

Mr. Velu said that the new route would pass through Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Tiruvallur districts and would connect the Tindivanam station on the Egmore-Villupuram section with Nagari station on the Arakkonam-Renigunta section.

It would have 19 railways stations and cross National Highway 46 and NH 4. It would have 12 major bridges, 114 minor bridges, 66 level crossings, 11 road overbridges, and 30 subways.

Works to the tune of Rs.60 crore connected to the establishment of the rail route had already started. This included the work on the major bridge across the Palar in Arcot for which Rs.38 crore had been sanctioned, and a bridge across the Cheyyar. Work would be started soon on laying a track in the Ranipet station, he said. Mr. Velu sought the cooperation of the Collectors and the public in enabling the Railways to obtain the land for the track-laying work and the creation of other infrastructure.

There were 1,252 manned level crossings and 1,170 unmanned level crossings in Tamil Nadu. Steps had been taken to man all the unmanned crossings. The broad gauge track between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment stations (forming part of the Katpadi-Villupuram gauge conversion project) was awaiting the clearance of the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Mr. Velu said.

The track from Vellore Cantonment to Tiruvannamalai would be ready in another six months, and from Tiruvannamalai to Villupuram within six months after completion of the work up to Tiruvannamalai, he added.

Earlier, he laid the foundation for the Arni railway station building at Irumbedu. He said that the foundation for the new rail route between Tindivanam and Tiruvannamalai would be laid soon.

Food Minister E.V. Velu, who presided, requested Mr. Velu to take steps to lay a new route to connect Tindivanam with Morappur via Senji, Tiruvannamalai, Chengam and Harur to provide train facilities for the public of Tiruvannamalai to go to Bangalore and Coimbatore, and a new route from Kancheepuram to Tiruvannamalai via Arni.

Vandavasi MP Gingee N. Ramachandran said that the rail route should be laid in such a way as to connect Arni with Chennai to facilitate transport of silk products from Arni for export.

Vellore MP K.M. Khader Mohideen urged the Railway Minister to ensure that all level crossings to be established in the Tindivanam-Nagari route are manned. He requested Mr. Velu to establish a bio-diesel factory in Arni to meet its bio-diesel requirements and to encourage farmers to cultivate Jatropha (whose seeds form the raw material for the bio-diesel) with the promise of buy-back arrangements. Tindivanam MP K. Dhanaraju, MLAs R. Sivanandam (Arni), Edhiroli Manian (Peranamallur), S.P. Jayaraman (Vandavasi), T.K. Raja (Tirupattur) and K.L. Elavazagan (Arcot), Arni municipal chairperson Santhi Loganathan, and Irumbedu panchayat president A. Rajan spoke.

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