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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 11/10/2008 : 18:15:52
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Katpadi-Vellore Cantonment BG line opened
A passenger train from Vellore Cantonment to Tirupati flagged off; renovated station building inaugurated
VELLORE: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss inaugurated the newly converted, 10-km-long broad gauge line, with electrification, between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment and flagged off a passenger train from Vellore Cantonment to Tirupati through Katpadi, at a function held at the Cantonment station on Monday.
He also inaugurated the station building, renovated at a cost of Rs.5 crore.
Speaking after the inauguration, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss complimented Minister of State for Railways R. Velu on the efforts he had made for gauge conversion in Tamil Nadu, and the modernisation schemes implemented in the State in the past four-and-a-half years. He was responsible for obtaining for Tamil Nadu one-third of the entire allocation for the Railways.
He said the vast circulating area of the Cantonment station would be greened, and a walking pathway created for walkers.
Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said railway officials always had the tendency of negating any proposal put forward, citing rules. “We do not need officials who cite rules and block welfare measures.” The gauge conversion between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment was possible because of the efforts of officials who approached the project with a positive attitude.
Mr. Velu said that thanks to the efforts made by the Railway Ministry under the United Progressive Alliance government, the Railways earned a profit of Rs.9,000 crore in the first year, Rs.15,000 crore in the second year, Rs.20,000 crore in the third year, Rs.25,000 crore in the fourth year. It was expected to net Rs.1,00,000 crore at the end of the government’s five-year term. Five hundred km of metre-gauge track in Tamil Nadu had been converted into broad gauge this year, and the rest would be covered in the next six months.
Work to be over soon
He said the cost of the 161-km gauge conversion between Katpadi and Villupuram had been revised to Rs.330 crore. While the metre-gauge line between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment had been converted at a cost of Rs.35 crore, he had asked the officials to complete the remaining work in the Katpadi-Villupuram section before March.
The renovations at the Vellore Cantonment station include the construction of a high- level platform, platform shelters, computerised reservation centre, high mast lights, parcel office, cycle and car park, signal and telecommunication building and a foot over-bridge.
For the benefit of pilgrims and office-goers, three passenger trains will be operated between Vellore Cantonment and Tirupati, and two passenger trains between Cantonment and Arakkonam, all through Katpadi, from Tuesday. No. D162 will leave Cantonment at 5.55 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 9 a.m.; D164 will leave cantonment at 10.10 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 1.15 p.m.; and D166 will leave Cantonment at 4.55 p.m. and reach Tirupati at 7.45 p.m. No 200 will leave Cantonment at 9.45 a.m. and reach Arakkonam at 11.50 a.m. and 192 will leave Cantonment at 4.40 p.m. and reach Arakkonam at 6.45 p.m.
D169 will leave Tirupati at 2.45 a.m. and reach Cantonment at 5.40 a.m.; 161 will leave Tirupati at 6.50 a.m. and reach Cantonment at 9.40 a.m. and 163 will leave Tirupati at 1.35 p.m. and reach Cantonment at 4.37 p.m. No 191 will leave Arakkonam at 7.05 a.m. and reach Cantonment at 9.05 a.m. and 199 will leave Arakkonam at 12.30 p.m. and reach Cantonment at 2.35 p.m.
R. Ramanathan, Chief Administrative Officer, Construction, Southern Railway; said the broad-gauge track between Katpadi and Cantonment had three stations, 27 minor bridges, three major bridges and four level crossings.
Vellore MP K.M. Khader Mohideen; Mayor P. Karthikeyan; and MLAs T.K. Raja (Tirupattur) and K.L. Elavazagan (Arcot) spoke.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2008 : 18:26:58
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Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai gauge conversion work to be over by June 30
CHENNAI: The target date for completing gauge conversion between Villupuram and Mayiladuthurai (122 km) has now been fixed as June 30, 2009.
The project was to be completed by June this year, which was postponed to December. Now the target date has been revised again as construction of the new Coleroon bridge is yet to be completed.
This time, the target will be met, averred an official of the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, which is executing the project. This section is part of the Villupuram-Thanjavur conversion project. The stretch between Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai has been completed and opened for passenger traffic.
The conversion work was delayed owing to various reasons.
Though funds were not a constraint, increase in the cost of materials, soft nature of the soil, movement of materials and too many bridges on the stretch were the main reasons for the delay.
Construction of the 2-km-long bridge across the Coleroon has been the toughest assignment for the RVNL. This delayed the project. Earlier, the Corporation had planned pile foundation. This was found not feasible as there were boulders beneath the soil in some places. In those areas, the Corporation switched to well foundation.
Apart from the Coleroon structure, there are 31 major bridges and 290 minor bridges. Construction of 255 minor bridges has been completed. Of the remaining 35 bridges, the substructure work (erecting pillars) has been completed and super structure work (placing prefabricated girders on pillars) is on. In the case of major bridges, except the Coleroon, all bridges are almost complete. The RVNL official said except the Cuddalore-Sirkazhi stretch (56 km), the other portions of the project – Villupuram-Cuddalore (46 km) and Sirkazhi-Mayiladuthurai (20 km) – had been completed. Goods trains were being operated between Sirkazhi and Mayiladuthurai since March 31.
Once the conversion between Villupuram and Mayiladuthurai is over, trains can be operated from Chennai Egmore to the south via main line i.e. Villupuram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur and Tiruchi.
R.Ramanathan, Chief Administrative Officer, Southern Railway, said already conversion of the Tiruvarur-Nagore section was over.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/23/2008 : 19:43:05
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KANCHEEPURAM: The State government should evince interest in completing railway projects in Tamil Nadu, said the Union Minister for State (Railways), R. Velu.
Talking to reporters at Palur railway station near Chengalpattu after laying the foundation stone for the Rs.13.50-crore drinking water bottling plant to be set up by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Union Minister said that in the last few years the Railway Ministry had sanctioned 108 rail-overbridge (ROB) projects for Tamil Nadu.
However, only around 10 projects were completed every year while others were delayed due to various reasons such as land acquisition, approval of general arrangement drawings etc.
In order to expedite the ROB projects, the Railway Ministry had even suggested that the Indian Railway Construction Company could take up 35 projects and similar number of projects could be taken up by the State government, Mr. Velu added.
The production capacity at Integral Coach Factory at Chennai and Rail Coach Factory at Kaburthala have been increased to 1450 coaches apart from the steps initiated to produce 1000 coaches from the coach building units at Raebereli and Bihar.
Fares not increased
Earlier addressing the gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony, Mr. Velu claimed that fares collected from passengers travelling by buses were almost twice as that of the charges collected from commuters travelling in trains. However, the Railway Ministry had not increased the passenger fares in the last two budgets.
Several new avenues were explored and implemented to augment the revenue of Indian Railways and simultaneously the amount of money spent for creating / upgrading passenger amenities in railway junctions/stations have also been increased by twice as that of the total amount spent for this purpose four-and-half years ago.
Claiming that the drinking water bottling plant to come up at Palur would achieve its breakeven point within three years, Mr. Velu said that water bottles to be manufactured at Palur plant would be made available for sale to passengers at the railway junctions/stations coming under Chennai, Bangalore, Tiruchi and Salem divisions.
Commercial production next year
Participating in the function, the Additional General Manager, Southern Railway, A.P. Mishra said that the new plant, having installed capacity of 1.80 lakh litres per day, would commence its commercial production by next September.
The Chengalpattu MLA, K. Arumugham, Tiruporur MLA, D. Moorthy, Divisional Railway Manager (Chennai), Kulshrestha, Regional Director, IRCTC, V. Sriram were among those who participated in the function.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2008 : 18:35:08
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Palakkad-Pollachi section to close next week
CHENNAI: The metre gauge section between Pollachi and Palakkad (56 km) will be closed for traffic from December 10 to facilitate gauge conversion work.
This section is part of Dindigul- Pollachi – Palakkad/Coimbatore gauge conversion project (225 km) sanctioned by the Railway Board. The total cost of the project is about Rs. 558 crore.
According to a Southern Railway official, contractors had already been fixed for the project and the work would start immediately after suspension of the traffic.
Revised patterns
The project will be taken in two phases. In the first phase conversion of Pollachi – Palakkad section will be taken up. In next phase conversion of Dindigul – Pollachi and Pollachi – Pothanur /Coimbatore sections will be taken up. Consequent to the closure of the line the following will be revised pattern of services on the Pollachi – Palakkad section:
Trains fully cancelled: Train nos.765/762 and 767/766 Palakkad – Pollachi Passengers; train no.768A/773 Pollachi - Podanur Passengers; train no.768/761 Dindigul - Palakkad Passengers; and train no.764/763 Dindigul – Palakkad Passengers.
Train nos 775/776 Palakkad – Dindigul Passengers are partially cancelled between Palakkad and Pollachi, according to the railway official.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 19:05:32
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Vellore-Villupuram railway line will be electrified: Velu
It will be done at a cost Rs. 97 crore
Tiruvannamalai: The 151-km stretch of railway line between Vellore and Villupuram, where gauge conversion work is under progress, will be electrified at a cost of Rs. 97 crore, Minister of State for Railways R.Velu has said.
After inspecting the works at the railway station here on Saturday, he told reporters that after completing all ongoing electrification works, it would be possible to travel from Kanyakumari to Jammuthavi or Kolkata or Mumbai on an electric train.
Estimate enhanced
“The estimate for the ongoing gauge conversion work between Katpadi and Villupuram has been enhanced from Rs. 231 crore to Rs. 330 crore. Of this amount, Rs.185 crore has been spent already and works for another Rs.120 are going on.
The deadline for completing the gauge conversion works between Katpadi and Tiruvannamalai has been extended to March 2009 and between Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram to June 2009,” he said.
All materials required for laying broad gauge line between Katpadi and Tiruvannamalai, including sleepers, gravel etc., were ready at the sites along the line, he added.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 19:33:25
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CUDDALORE:The recent spell of rain has hampered the execution of railway projects, particularly the railway bridges across rivers, said R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways.
After inspecting the progress of works on the railway bridge across the Kollidam near Chidambaram on Sunday, Mr. Velu told reporters that the project was originally estimated to cost Rs. 181.82 crore.
But owing to cost overruns and disruption by natural factors, the estimate had been revised to Rs. 270 crore. Mr. Velu said that the survey for starting a train service from Cuddalore to Chennai, via Puducherry and Mahabalipuram, was under way.
The proposal for constructing a subway on Lawrence Road in Cuddalore was awaiting administrative sanction. As regards the Chidambaram flyover, Mr. Velu said the Railways had completed its work and it was for the Highways Department to take up its share of work.
Electrification of the Tiruchi-Chennai sector would be completed by January 15 and the process was under way on the Tiruchi-Madurai stretch.
Gauge conversion works on the Madurai-Tuticorin and Tuticorin-Maniyatchi sectors, taken up at the cost of Rs. 120 crore, was under progress. Services between Vellore and Chennai, and, Chennai and Kancheepuram would begin by December 21.
Within one-and-half years, electric trains linking Kanyakumari to Kolkata, Delhi and Jammu Tawi would be introduced, Mr. Velu said.
At Vikkiravandi near Villupuram, he inaugurated a station building and introduced a halt for the Chennai Egmore-Puducherry-Chennai Egmore train.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2008 : 19:35:24
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Tiruvarur-Nagore train service by month-end: officials
Commissioner of Railway Safety to inspect section in third week of December
NAGAPATTINAM: Trains might soon start running in the Tiruvarur-Nagore section after a prolonged delay, which postponed the opening of the line for the last couple of years.
Officials said that the Commissioner of Railway Safety was scheduled to inspect the section in the third week of December.
Work on the 31-km stretch between Tiruvarur and Nagore had started in 2006 itself and the project cost was estimated at Rs.34 crore then. This was part of the link between Tiruchi and Karaikal, with the Tiruchi-Thanjavur and Thanjavur-Tiruvarur sections already complete.
This section, along with the proposed work to Karaikal, and the extension to Velankanni, would help a lot of commuters to the pilgrim centres of Velankanni, Nagore and Karaikal, and also the Karaikal Port, which is getting ready.
However, there was a delay, owing to various reasons, and although there had been trial runs even in April of this year, trains were yet to start plying. At an inspection of the Kollidam railway bridge on Sunday, R. Velu, Minister of State for Railways, had assured that trains would be on the tracks by the end of December.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2008 : 19:36:55
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Officials confirmed that the Kollidam railway bridge was nearing completion with only girders left to be built, and soon the Sirkazhi-Chidambaram line might also be opened for traffic.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2008 : 18:36:35
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MADURAI: Southern Railway has cancelled train services between Tirunelveli Town-Shencottah sector with effect from January 1, 2009 consequent to the closure of Tirunelveli Town-Tenkasi metre gauge section for gauge conversion.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2008 : 20:09:20
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Fitness study: K.J.S. Naidu, Commissioner of Railway Safety, inspecting the Tiruvarur-Nagore broad gauge line on Thursday.
TIRUVARUR: Rail traffic on the broad gauge track between Tiruvarur and Nagore is expected to resume soon with the Commissioner of Railway (CRS) K.J.S. Naidu commencing his two-day inspection on the section on Thursday following the completion of the gauge conversion.
Accompanied by the Chief Administrative Officer (Constructions), Southern Railway R. Ramanathan, Chief Engineer (Constructions) Rajesh Argal, Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer B.N. Moorthy, Divisional Railway Manager S. Subramhanyan and other senior officials, Mr. Naidu inspected the track in a motor trolley from Tiruvarur to Nagore, covering a total distance of 31 km.
The CRS will conduct a speed trial in a special train on Friday from Nagore to Tiruvarur, which has eight stations including three crossing stations. Rail traffic, which had been suspended in this section to enable conversion work, will resume once the CRS gives his certification.
The project, sanctioned at a cost of Rs.65 crore, commenced in April 2007. The work included construction of two major bridges and 88 minor bridges. The section has total of 25 level crossings, including 17 manned gates.
The Tiruvarur - Nagore gauge conversion is part of the Tiruchi – Karaikal GC work, covering a total distance of 200 km, which was sanctioned by the Railway Board as early as in 1995-96. |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2008 : 23:23:29
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http://news. chennaionline. com/newsitem. aspx?NEWSID= e5662fef- 99dc-40df- 912d-543a15f9834 4&CATEGORYNAME= CHN
Nagapattinam, Dec 19:A trial run on the new broad gauge line between nagore and tiruvarur was conducted today, railway officials said.
K G Naidu, chief railway safety officer, Chennai, accompanined by Subramaniam, divisional manager, Tiruchirapalli, told reporters later that broad gauge conversion work was satisfactory and that 90 per cent of the work had been completed.
In about a fortnight, the railways would announce commencement of dates of regular services, Naidu said.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2008 : 23:35:28
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http://www.hindu. com/2008/ 12/20/stories/ 2008122055771100 .htm
Speed trial held at 100-120 km per hour
TIRUVARUR: Train services are likely to start on the broad gauge section between Tiruvarur and Nagore in a fortnight.
“There are some minor defects in the track. They will be set right,” said K.J.S. Naidu, Commissioner of Railway Safety, here on Friday, after concluding a speed trial in a special train from Nagore to Tiruvarur. The train was operated at 100 to 120 km per hour speed.
R. Ramanathan, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) , who accompanied Mr. Naidu said that train service in the link between Nagapattinam and Velankanni may start from March.
The line is being laid at a cost of Rs.45 crore. In the Mayiladuthurai- Villupuram section, gauge conversion works are expected to be completed by June.
The section between Mayiladuthurai and Tiruvarur would be made broad gauge at Rs.130 crore and the work would start in March, Ramanathan said. S. Subramhanyan, DRM, Tiruchi, also accompanied the officials.
irse |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2008 : 01:17:02
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The Commissioner of Railway Safety has cleared the newly converted Tiruvarur-Nagore broad gauge line for passenger traffic.
Commissioner K.J.S.Naidu inspected the new BG line last week along with Chief Administrative Officer R.Ramanathan and conducted various mandatory checks on the 30-km stretch, constructed at a cost of Rs.75 crore.
With this, the Nagore-Tiruvarur-Thanjavur-Tiruchi conversion project is completed. While the stretch from Tiruchi to Thanjavur (58 km) was converted long back, the work between Thanjavur and Tiruvarur was over a few months ago.
Even after the conversion, Nagore will have no direct rail link from Chennai as Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur section still remains as metre gauge section. The Railway Board had already cleared the conversion of 38 km stretch and the work would start in January. It would take at least a year and a half for completion, according to a railway official.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway will write a letter to Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi requesting him to inaugurate the newly converted Tiruvarur-Nagore line for traffic. The second line from Kodaikanal Road to Madurai (40 km), which is part of the Dindigul–Madurai double line project, would be completed before March 2009. Once it is completed there would be double lines between Dindigul and Madurai as the portion from Dindigul to Kodaikanal Road was already completed, he added. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2008 : 18:43:44
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The Virudhunagar-Manamadurai gauge conversion would be completed by December next year. “Many bottlenecks had been cleared after a long-drawn process. The cost has escalated by more than 60 per cent, from Rs. 98 crore to Rs. 160 crore,” Mr. Velu said.
The 67-km project involved many improvement works too. Mr. Velu said many projects could not be taken up owing to the increase in the cost of cement, steel and labour. “But now the cost has come down, and many contractors are coming forward to execute the works.” The construction of major bridges on the main line, which was delayed by natural calamities, was at an advanced stage, he said. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/31/2008 : 19:29:33
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TIRUNELVELI: As the last journey of Tirunelveli – Shencottai passenger train commenced from Tirunelveli Town station to Tenkasi on the metre gauge at 6.20 p.m. on Wednesday, 66-year old S. Mariappan of Tirunelveli Town could not control his emotions.
Former Assistant Loco Pilot of this train, Mr. Mariappan went around the engine with moist eyes, kissed and garlanded it before greeting his ex-colleagues in the engine even as his son M. Chellasubramanian videographing all these happenings for his documentary film on the emotional bond between his father and the train.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my stint as the Assistant Loco Pilot of this metre gauge train that spanned for about two decades,” Mr. Mariappan recalls, even as the Loco Pilot R. Kaliraj (52) piloting the last service and some of the senior commuters singing Kannadasan’s ‘Pasumai niraintha ninaivugalae...’
To connect Cochin Port with the comparatively small Tuticorin harbour to facilitate hassle-free movement of cargo in huge volume and also the passengers, especially traders, the British regime laid the metre gauge via Quilon, Punalur, Shencottai, Tenkasi, Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli and Maniyaachhi and the first train was operated in 1902.
As conversion of metre gauge tracks was taken-up in a phased manner across the country, the Southern Railway decided to convert the 83 Km-long metre gauge section between Tirunelveli Junction and Shencottai also into broad gauge. After the 8 km-long dual track was laid between Shencottai and Tenkasi in the first phase, work on the remaining 72 km-stretch between Tenkasi and Tirunelveli Town, to be executed at the cost of Rs. 150 crore is to be commenced from the New Year day, for which train service on the metre gauge was stopped after the last train left for Tenkasi from Tirunelveli Town on Wednesday.
Of the 173 bridges on this section, including 13 major bridges, construction of 50-odd viaducts have been completed and four of the sixteen stations on this stretch – Paavoorchathram, Keezha Kadayam, Ambasamudram and Cheranmahadevi – are to be given a facelift.
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SR : Five gauge conversion works nearing completio
