R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEP 8
Suburban train services which were stopped during March when nationwide lockdown was announced, will be resumed only after the central government shows green signal, said Southern Railway General Manager John Thomas here on Tuesday.
Addressing the first ever virtual meet with media, he said “suburban trains can be introduced only after a decision is taken by the ministry of railways in coordination with the ministries of home and urban development. Suburban trains have not commenced anywhere in the country,” he said.
He said that the state government has already informed that it has no objection to resume suburban train services.
Reply to a query, Mr. John Thomas said that the maintenance yard for private train operators in Chennai, most probably Tondiarpet yard.
He also indicated that Chennai Central and Tambaram are among the proposed terminals for the operation of private trains from here. An official said that besides these two terminals, “Pondicherry, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kannyakumari, Kochuveli, Ernakulam, Mangalore and Coimbatore junctions are the other terminals proposed for origin and termination of services of proposed private trains.”
Mr. John Thomas said, all trains being run were only reserved and unreserved passengers have not been allowed yet and “may be in the days to come a decision will be taken” by the authorities (on suburban train operations), he added.
The third line between suburban Tambaram and Chengelpet here would be completed by March 2021, Thomas said.
573 coaches converted as COVID ready
About the coaches converted into COVID isolation wards and the number of them utilised under the Southern Railway, he said 573 coaches were modified and none of them were used.
“We have not used any of them because as per the protocol they were to be used only when the state the government had exhausted all their quarantine facilities. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala they have not yet exhausted their quarantine facilities,” he said.
The need for using the coaches has not come and hence not used. They were to be used only as a last resort when all the (institutional) quarantine facilities have been exhausted,” he added.
If the state government sought the coaches, these would be provided.
The modifications could be reversed as and when warranted as per the advice of the state government and union home ministry, he said.
Earlier, Mr. John Thomas made a 27 slide power presentation on various measures taken by the Southern Railway to enhance freight traffic during lockdown. He explained in detail on various incentive schemes offerred to attract the bulk cargo customers including setting up of Zonal-level and Divisional-level dedicated Business Development Units (BDUs) and their roles.
He also dealt in detail about the infrastructural works including dismantling and construction of Elephant Gate ROB undertaken during lockdown and few other ROBs identified as weak.
Mr. R. Shanmugaraj, AGM, Ms. Neenu Ittyerah, Principal Chief Operations Manager, Mr. R. Dhananjayulu, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Mr. K. Raveendra Babu, CAO/Construction/Chennai Egmore and Mr. Prafulla Verma, CAO/Construction/Ernakulam were virtually addressed at the press briefing.
