Dindigul-Villupuram doubling to be completed in two years:

RAMESWARAM: The track doubling between Dindigul and Villupuram will be completed in two years, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu has said.

Presiding over a function, in which Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram flagged off the Rameswaram-Chennai Egmore Express here on Saturday, Mr. Velu said the project had been taken up at a cost of Rs.822 crore. New trains to Chennai from various parts of the southern districts could be operated after the project was completed.

Electrification

Mr. Velu said electrification of the broad-gauge line between Villupuram and Tiruchi had been expedited. It would be extended up to Tuticorin. New trains including those to0 Kasi and Bhuvaneswar from Rameswaram would be operated soon.

The Boat Mail, which was suspended in view of the gauge conversion of the main line, would be reintroduced from January.

Appreciating Mr. Chidambaram’s efforts for introducing an additional train to Chennai from Rameswaram, Mr. Velu said it was mainly because of his efforts that Southern Railway could operate the new train by rescheduling another.

More projects

Mr. Chidambaram said the Railways, like the economy, had grown spectacularly during the past four years. And the growth had enabled the Railways to implement more infrastructure projects.

The United Progressive Alliance government had recently introduced a train service in Jammu and Kashmir. Railway Minister Lalu and Mr. Velu had done a good service to the Railways, he said.

The additional train to Chennai, and its schedule, would suit the passengers of Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Pudukottai districts.

Union Minister S. Regupathy, Tamil Nadu Minister, S. Thangavelan, Bhavani Rajendran, MP, K. Hasan Ali, MLA, General Manager Rakesh Chopra and Divisional Railway Manager Anil Singhal took part.