Southern Railway aims to complete 148km of doubling, 90km of gauge conversion and 270km of electrification work this financial year. Hoisting the national flag to mark 74th Independence Day on Saturday, Southern Railway general manager John Thomas said a slew of projects were carried out while trains have been suspended amid shutdown.
These projects include “replacement of seven steel girders in a bridge in Chennai–Gudur section in five days, renovation of a century-old arch bridge near Erode in 36 hours,” he said. In addition to this, subway work was completed on Villupuram-Trichy section by putting in place a 10-hour line block, doubling of Kadambur-Vanchi Maniyachchi-Tattaparai; Vanchi Maniyachchi-Gangaikondan sections (45km) with electrification was commissioned on July 15.
Chennai division of Southern Railway also made the most of the shutdown time and completed work that would have otherwise disrupted schedules due to suspension of trains, said divisional railway manager P Mahesh after hoisting the national flag.
“Demolition of Elephant gate bridge, remodelling of Jolarpet yard to improve the speed of trains from 15kmph to 110kmph, lifts at Arakkonam railway station, escalators at Katpadi, Mambalam and Chennai Egmore, installing WiFi at all stations, double discharge platforms at Chennai Egmore and Guindy stations, a new foot-overbridge commissioned at Ambattur railway station and introduction of contactless ticket checking at Central and Egmore were some of the works that were completed in the last four months,” he said.