The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Five gauge conversion works nearing completion

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Sunday, Jun 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Five gauge conversion works nearing completion

S.Vydhianathan

Safety inspection by Commissioner of Railway Safety soon

CHENNAI: As many as five gauge conversion works are nearing completion and safety inspection of these lines by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is likely soon.

Southern Railway has written to the CRS, Bangalore, seeking his dates for inspection of the Karaikudi–Manamadurai BG section. The inspection is likely by the first week of June.

After his mandatory clearance, the line will be opened for passenger traffic.

The Karaikudi–Manamdurai section (61 km) is part of the Tiruchi-Manamadurai-Rameswaram BG conversion project. Once opened for traffic, direct services can be introduced to Rameswaram from Chennai Egmore via Tiruchi, Sivaganga, Karaikudi and Manamdaurai.

At present trains to Rameswaram from Egmore are taking the Tiruchi, Madurai, Manamdurai route.

Chief Administrative Officer R. Ramanathan says railway authorities are planning to invite Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to inaugurate the new line.

Conversion of the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur section (62 km) is also over and the CRS is likely to inspect the line in the second week of June. This section is part of the Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli

-Tenkasi-Shenkottai-Punalur-Quilon project. The Punalur-Quilon and Tenkasi-Shenkotai sections have been completed. Gauge conversion work is on between Punalur and Shenkottai.

In July, three more converted lines, Nagur-Tiruvarur (31 km), Dindigul-Kodaikanal Road (22 km) and Katapdi-Vellore (10 km) sections will be opened for passenger traffic. All these sections are almost over and by July the Commissioner is expected to conduct inspection.

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