273km between Villupuram-Madurai had been completed in 7yrs
Now second broad-gauge railway line from Madurai to Chennai ready
No train in 450 km stretch will halt for a crossing even for a minute hereafter
MADURAI: A train travel from Madurai to Chennai via the chord line will be a different experience hereafter. For, no train in this 450-km stretch will halt even for a minute for a crossing. It has become possible thanks to the completion of Villupuram-Madurai track doubling project that got over with the speed trial held on the last stretch of newly laid broad-gauge line between Tamirapadi and Kalpattichatram in Dindigul district on Wednesday, 14th March. 2018.
Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle), K. A. Manoharan, along with senior railway officials of Madurai Division, Construction Organization, Southern Railway, Chennai and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), that executed the project, conducted the speed trial on 14th March.
L. Sudhakar Rao, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Southern Railway, Chennai, said ‘the project to lay a second BG line for 273 km between Villupuram-Madurai had been completed in seven years.’
“No such big project has been completed in seven years till date. Normally, it would take at least 20 years,” the Executive Director (Projects), RVNL, Pradeep Gaur said. Stating that the Ministry of Railways created RVNL to expedite mega projects, Mr. Gaur said that RVNL had met the objective in a highly cost-effective manner.
The project cost, estimated at Rs. 12,000 crores in 2010, has been completed with around Rs. 15,000 crores. “One reason for cost-effectiveness was the quick execution of the work,” said Gaur.
The project involved the construction of 50 major bridges and 600 minor bridges and electrification of the entire stretch.
Two longest bridges have come up near Tiruchi – one across the Kollidam (870 meters) and other across the Cauvery (600 meters). With no crossing of trains, the travel time would be less.
The effect of trains getting delayed due to late running of a train will not take place. The line capacity would be tripled as many trains could be operated one after the other within a short gap. The additional capacity would pave the way for the introduction of more trains.
The Chennai-Kanniyakumari section being the highest passenger revenue-generating corridor in the entire Southern Railway, the focus shifts to down Madurai.
The railways have planned to provide a double line between Madurai and Thoothukudi, Vanchi Maniyachi and Nagercoil. The work for 20 major bridges in Madurai-Thoothukudi section has started. The work to finalize tender is under way, he said.
The Divisional Railway Manager, Neenu Ittyerah, General Manager (RVNL), D. R. Naidu, and Chief Engineer (Construction), Masthan Rao, were present.
Courtesy: The Hindu