Southern Rly completes 150 km of track doubling, gauge conversion.

Nearly 150 km of track doubling and gauge conversion projects were completed in 2017-18 by the Southern Railway.

The biggest project was the 73.43-km-long gauge conversion between Pattukottai and Karaikudi Junction in the 187-km Mayiladuturai–Thiruvarur-Tiruturaipundi–Karaikudi section.

This project is important for the State as the line traverses Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Sivaganga districts.

The centralised procurement of paddy by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and rice mills for the Food Corporation of India from paddy growing centres in this section is a regular feature. Similarly, chemical manure is transported to the paddy growing areas.

The new section opened for traffic on March 30, says a press release from the Southern Railway. The other major project was electrification of 25.44 km between Kalpattichatram and Tamaraipadi railway station on the Villupuram–Dindigul section. With this, the entire stretch between Chennai and Madurai will have electrified double line.

The Villupuram-Dindigul project was completed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd at a cost of Rs. 1,600 crore, and was opened for traffic on March 30.

Gauge conversion

The electrified double line will ease congestion in the chord line section and pave the way for more services, the release said. The 20.88-km gauge conversion was completed between Aryankavu and Edamon in the Sengottai-Punalur section of Kollam-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur and Tenkasi-Virudunagar gauge conversion (357 km) project. This section traverses through Kollam district in Kerala and will give a fillip to the connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

As part of track doubling between Thanjavur and Ponmalai taken up by RVNL, the stretch between Solagampatti and Thanjavur Junction (28.75 km) was also completed during the year. The total project cost of Thanjavur and Ponmalai doubling work was Rs. 350 crore covering 46.96 km and executed by RVNL.

HBL