MADURAI: The Madurai Division of Southern Railway is making all efforts to implement the doubling of the track between Madurai and Kanyakumari by raising funds from Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR).
The division has also proposed to make the Kudal Nagar station in Madurai a satellite terminal.
“We have completed the doubling works in the 36-kms stretch between Tiruchy and Manaparai. The train service will commence on this route after the commissioner for railway safety inspects it next week. This will reduce travel time by 25 minutes,” Sunil Kumar Garg, division railway manager, told reporters on Monday.
The doubling work between Dindigul and Manaparai is also in progress. And for the doubling for broad gauge section between Madurai, Virudhunagar, Vanchimaniyachi and Thoothukudi and between Vanchimaniyachi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, the division is planning to take up the work through EBR, which may take another four years for completion, Mr Garg said. It could also be extended up to Thiruvananthapuram.
On the expansion of railway platform in Madurai, the DRM said it is not possible to extend the existing Madurai railway junction due to lack of space.
However the Kudal Nagar station is being planned as a satellite terminal because it has enough area for expansion. A train like the Pandian Express would be run between Kudal Nagar and Tambaram after completing the expansion work.
If the doubling work between Villupuram and Dindigul is completed soon, it would also bring down the travel time from Madurai to Chennai, he said.
Listing the achievements of Madurai division, Garg said that the girder work at Pamban bridge has been completed in 28 spans in phase I at a cost of Rs 6.76 crore and further it has been proposed to do re-girdering of 16 spans at a cost of Rs 5.90 crore.
Also, Rs 25 crore has been sanctioned for the replacement of Scherzer lifting span. Garg added that the division has spent Rs 18.5 crore for track renewals and Rs 8.8 crore for bridgework as part of infrastructure development.
