Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

Opening of BG track between Vellore Cantonment, Villupuram awaited

VELLORE: The people of Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts are eagerly awaiting the opening of the newly laid broad gauge (BG) track between Vellore Cantonment and Villupuram. Though the conversion of the erstwhile metre gauge (MG) track into broad gauge, which was taken up two years ago, was completed in January this year, the track is yet to be opened for operation of passenger trains owing to some defects, pointed out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Bangalore, K.J.S. Naidu.

The Tirupati-Rameswaram Meenakshi Express and the Tirupati-Villupuram Passenger that were operated on the erstwhile MG track between Tirupati and Villupuram were stopped about a decade ago to facilitate the conversion of the MG track between Tirupati and Katpadi and between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment stations. The gauge conversion on the Tirupati-Katpadi section having been completed, the operation of passenger trains on the broad gauge track between Tirupati and Katpadi was started seven years ago.

The BG track between Vellore Cantonment and Katpadi was opened for passenger traffic with the inauguration of the first passenger train on the newly laid track from Vellore Cantonment to Tirupati via Katpadi by Anbumani Ramadoss, the then Union Minister for Health, on November 10, 2008.

The operation of four passenger trains on the MG track between Vellore Cantonment and Villupuram was stopped on June 1, 2007 to facilitate the conversion of the MG track into BG track. The gauge conversion on the Vellore Cantonment-Villupuram section, which was taken up subsequently was almost completed by January this year. After the track was found fit for operation of goods trains after a trial run of a goods train on January 20, 2010 from Villupuram to Vellore Cantonment stations, the first two goods trains on the newly laid BG track - from Villupuram to Bagala (Andhra Pradesh) and from Katpadi to Villupuram - began their operations on June 25, 2010.

The CRS, who completed a four-day inspection of the track for operation of passenger trains on April 1, 2010, told newspersons on that day that the track was not yet safe for operation of passenger trains owing to some technical defects. He instructed the railways to carry out the rectifications and inform him.

According to sources in the Southern Railway, the rectifications have been completed, and the Research & Development and Safety Organisation (RDSO) of the Railways carried out earthwork tests. The operation of passenger trains on the track depended on the results of the tests. Twenty major railway bridges and 386 minor railway bridges have been constructed on the newly laid BG track. The Vellore Cantonment-Villupuram section has 20 stations comprising 10 crossing stations and 10 halt stations.

The public of Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts are eagerly awaiting the opening of the BG track for normal traffic and the resumption of the stopped trains since this was the shortest route for the people of these two districts to reach places like Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Rameswaram in the southern districts. At present, there was only a weekly BG train (Nellai Express), which passes through Katpadi, to enable passengers of Vellore to visit Madurai and Tirunelveli.

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