Tirunelveli: The doubling of railway track between Madurai-Maniyachi-Thoothukudi and Maniyachi-Tirunelveli-Nagercoil to be undertaken by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) will be completed in the next three years, according to Madurai division railway manager Sunil Kumar Garg.
The RVNL will contribute the major share of Rs 70 crore for the doubling project in the Madurai-Maniyachi-Thoothukudi section against the total yearly allocation of Rs 100 crore for the year 2016-2017 and Rs 110 crore for the Maniyachi-Tirunelveli-Nagercoil against the total yearly allocation of Rs 120 crore for the current fiscal.
Initial works of preparing the engineering scale plan (ESP) for the doubling projects have been already started, said Mr Garg, who added that the ESP was expected to be submitted in a couple of months. It would be then approved by the various departments of signaling, engineering, electrical and operation, following which the actual work would commence, he said. Moreover, the much delayed Shengottai-Punallur gauge conversion works started six years ago in 2010 too is expected to be commissioned by December this year.
Having completed around two thirds of the total gauge conversion work for which Rs 101 crore has been allotted in the final phase of the project in this year’s railway budget, the Madurai railway divisional manager said that the tunnel work at Ariyankavu in Kerala in the Shengottai-Punalur section alone remains to be completed.
