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Electrification complete, train services in a month

TIRUCHI: The electrification of the 178.5 km Villupuram-Tiruchi broad gauge track taken up at a cost of Rs.96.67 crore has been completed and normal train services on the electric traction is expected in a month or so, said K. J. S. Naidu, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), here on Friday.
Clearance report

Talking to media persons at the railway junction here after inspecting the second phase of electrification work including basic infrastructure between Ariyalur and Tiruchi (70 km), Mr. Naidu said that he was satisfied with the work and pointed out that he would send the clearance report to the Railways in a few days.

The CRS pointed out that electrification between Villupuram and Ariyalur was taken up in the first phase and it was commissioned in December last year.

Only goods trains were operated on the electric traction between Villupuram and Ariyalur to feed the cluster of cement plants situated in and around Ariyalur.

No mail or express passenger trains could be run on this section as no facilities are available at Ariyalur for change of traction.

R. P. Udayakumar, Chief Project Manager, Railway Electrification, Chennai, said that the electrification between Ariyalur and Tiruchi that was taken up in the second phase had now been completed.
Ten pairs of trains

The Railways have planned to run 10 pairs of trains under electric traction from Villupuram to Tiruchi after getting clearance.

This will bring down the running time by 10 to 15 minutes. About 20 minutes will get eliminated as the trains will run through without change of traction at Villupuram.
Awaiting power

He pointed out that out of the three electricity sub-stations set up by the Railways at Vriddhachalam, Ariyalur and Tiruchi, two have already been commissioned and the 110 KV sub-station at Tiruchi is ready and waiting for power connection from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board which is expected in a month’s time.

Mr. Udayakumar said that the Railways had planned to complete electrification works on the 158-km Tiruchi-Madurai section by March 2010 at a cost of Rs.126 crore of which work on the 92-km stretch between Tiruchi and Dindigul was nearing completion.

The three sub-stations are now being set up at Vayampatti, Dindigul and Koodalnagar and 30 per cent of the work is over.

Similarly, electrification of Tiruchi-Karur-Erode section is on the anvil, Mr. Udayakumar said.

Gauge conversion completed

S. Subramhanyan, Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, said that broad gauge conversion work between Villupuram and Mayiladuturai (122 km) had been completed and a trial run with an engine was slated for July 31. Construction of the two-km-long bridge across the Coleroon took more time.

He pointed out that passenger train services on the main line between Tiruchi and Chennai viz Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuturai, Chidambaram, and Cuddalore would be introduced from end of October or first week of November.

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