Date:04/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070458100100.htm

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Six new trains for Tamil Nadu

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Six new trains were proposed for Tamil Nadu in the railway budget on Friday.

They are: a non-stop point-to-point Chennai-Delhi bi-weekly express, a weekly Bilaspur–Tirunelveli Junction superfast express via Thiruvananthapuram, a bi-weekly Hapa-Tirunelveli superfast express via Thiruvananthapuram, a tri-weekly Kanyakumari-Rameswaram express via Madurai, a bi-weekly Madurai-Chennai Express and a Coimbatore-Shoranur passenger.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that Chennai Central would be developed as a world-class station with international facilities through innovative financing and public-private partnership mode.

The proposals included the extension of the Jammu Tawi-Madurai weekly express to Tirunelveli and the Ernakulam-Tiruchirapalli express to Nagore. The tri-weekly Mangalore-Chennai superfast will run on all days, once a week going to Puducherry.

No new line, gauge conversion or doubling project is on. Madurai-Ernakulam is among the 53 new line projects that will be sent to the Planning Commission.

The Ministry proposes to construct multi-functional complexes in Kanyakumari, Madurai, Rameswaram and Tiruchi.

These stations will have food and book stalls, restaurants, public call booths, medical shops, budget hotels and underground parking.