The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli BG line inaugurated

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Sunday, Sep 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli BG line inaugurated

J. Praveen Paul Joseph

Passenger trains
will halt at all
11 stations in
the section

TIRUCHENDUR: The newly laid broad gauge line between Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli was inaugurated by Minister of State for Railways R. Velu here on Saturday.

Mr. Velu said all metre gauge sections in the State would be made broad gauge within two years. Though petrol and diesel prices had shot up, train fares had not been revised and remained below bus fares.

The Minister also granted the demand, made on behalf of the public, for halting passenger trains between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur at all 11 stations.

To start with, passenger trains would be run on the section, and express trains introduced soon.

Minister of State for Home Affairs V. Radhika Selvi sought additional trains to clear the rush of devotees for the Shashti festival.

Rakesh Chopra, General Manager, Southern Railway, said that during 2007-2008, significant gauge conversion projects were completed in the Manamadurai-Rameswaram, Virudhachalam–Salem, Pudukkottai–Karaikudi and Tenkasi-Shencottah sections. This year, the Karaikudi-Manamadurai section was opened for traffic.

The gauge conversion between Villupuram and Mayiladuthurai, Vellore and Thiruvannamalai, Podanur and Coimbatore and Tiruvarur and Nagore were scheduled for completion this year.

The 62-km-long metre gauge line between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur, laid at a cost of Rs.118 crore, was a branch line and its conversion was part of the Kollam–Tirunelveli–Tiruchendur gauge conversion project. The gauge conversion of this stretch became imperative to integrate this island metre gauge section with the main network, Mr. Chopra said.

The new line would boost not only passenger traffic but also freight traffic in the region. He said 7 major and 187 minor bridges had been strengthened and 45 level crossings upgraded.

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