NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 5
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated a substantial amount of Rs. 3855 crores for the Southern Railway, which includes Stores and Manufacture Suspense, said General Manager John Jacob here on Friday.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Mr. Jacob said that allocation under capital/Gross Budgetary Support is essential, as the land acquisition for doubling and new lines have to be done under capital. This will give a fillip to the infrastructure in Southern Railway, he said.
Out of the total allocation, Rs. 1206.04 crores has been earmarked for Doubling Projects and Rs.178 crores has been earmarked for Gauge Conversion.
Rs. 224.57 crore for improving passenger amenities
A record sum of Rs. 224.57 crore has been allotted for Passenger Amenities for the year 2021-22, this is a 13.35% increase over last year’s grant, out of which a considerable amount of Rs.89 crore have been earmarked for soft up gradation and Rs. 87.52 Crores have been earmarked for Foot Over Bridges and raising of Platforms, Mr. Jacob said.
The General Manager outlined SR’s share and contribution in building the national Rail infrastructure. The Budget 2021-22 is a step in the right direction in achieving this vision and in making Railway future ready. In Tamil Nadu, 27 ongoing projects costing Rs.30,961 crores over 3,128 kms length falling fully/partly in the state are under different stages of planning/execution, he added.
Some of the projects in Tamil Nadu under the Vision 2024 are:
- Chennai Beach – Attipattu 4th Line and Chengalpattu – Villupuram Doubling which are completed.
- Omalur – Metturdam Doubling got an allocation of Rs.25.5 crores and is targeted for completion in March 21.
- Salem – Magnesite – Omalur doubling got Rs.35 crores and is targeted for completion in August 2022.
- New line projects of Madurai – Tuticorin via Aruppukkottai and Rameswaram – Dhanushkodi line got Rs.20 crores and Rs.75 crores respectively.
- The doubling of Maniyachi – Nagercoil got Rs.200 crores and the Madurai – Maniyachi – Tuticorin doubling got Rs. 300 crores in this year’s budget.
In Kerala, 9 ON GOING projects costing Rs.8,799 crores over 458 kms length falling fully/partly in the state are under different stages of planning/execution. Some of the projects in Kerala under the Vision 2024 are:
- Kurupanthara – Chingavanam doubling which got Rs.170 crores
- Ambalapuzha – Haripad Doubling which got Rs.15 crores and is targeted for completion in March 2021.
- Turavur – Ambalapuzha doubling, Kumbalam – Thuravur Patch doubling and Ernakulam – Kumbalam doubling got Rs.10 crores each Trivandrum – Kanniyakumari doubling got Rs.275 crores.
The Karnataka portion of Southern Railway in Mangalore also got covered in this year’s budget as Kankanadi – Panambur doubling got Rs.40 crores and is targeted for completion by May 2021.
Besides this, under Vision 2024 an additional Platform Line, and provision of new 24 coach pit line in lieu of existing 18 coach pit line at Mangalore Central under traffic facility works are in progress and is targeted for completion by March 2022.
General Manager also highlighted that Southern Railway will complete electrification of the entire broad gauge route in its jurisdiction by Dec 2023.
He pointed out that an allocation of Rs. 146 crores will give a big push for Signal & Telecom Infrastructure.
Major works involves setting up of Modern centralised Train Control System in Chennai – Gudur and Chenni – Renigunta route, Train Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS), LTE and Train Management System.
He also stated that vistadome coaches will be introduced in the scenic sections which are to be identified.
Normal train services, plying unreserved coaches will get delay
Restoration of normal train services and plying unreserved coaches will be delayed further in view of the prevailing situation owing to COVID-19 in the country, Mr. Jacob said.
The Railway Board was reviewing the situation on a daily basis and the situation was not conducive for restoring full services. “No decision has been taken in this regard. Normality can be restored if the situation improves,” he said.
“The situation in Kerala is not comfortable and there is a spike in cases,” he said in reply to a query.
Southern Railway has allowed movement of unreserved passengers only on suburban trains.
The General Manager said the origin and destination of trains would be announced at major stations to avoid the confusion prevailing among commuters owing to the numbering of the special trains that are currently operated by SR, he added.
