RailEnquiry

MADURAI: Officials from the Madurai division of the Southern Railway undertook a trial run on the Virudhunagar - Manamadurai broad gauge (BG) line on Thursday, ahead of the proposed inspection by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS).
Divisional railway manager, A K Rastogi along with additional divisional railway manager, V Ajithkumar accompanied by a team of railway officials travelled from Manamadurai to Virudhunagar checking all the amenities in the stations en route. S K Mittal, CRS will be inspecting the 67-km section on June 20 and 21 to certify the line where the gauge conversion works were completed recently after a period of over five years. Addressing media persons at the Virudhunagar railway station later, Rastogi said that the inspection was satisfactory. He announced that a passenger reservation system will be established in Aruppukottai station while unreserved ticket counters will come up in Thiruchuzhi and Narikudi stations. He said that there are 22 unmanned level crossings falling in the section and the traffic movement is observed in about nine crossings. "We will hold consultations with the district administration to take measures to close the unmanned level crossings and provide limited subway or diversion where there is traffic movement," he said. After the CRS inspection, goods trains will be operated on the section initially and passenger traffic will also be started after that, Rastogi said. Commenting on a query on operating night trains to Courtallam as the season is in full swing, he said that the demand will be looked into. In March, Madurai division officials carried out a trial run with four coaches inspecting the stability of the tracks. The CRS inspection will be the final formality to commence the section officially. Expediting the gauge conversion works in the section was a long-pending demand of the local rail users in the region. The route is considered ideal for goods traffic from Tuticorin bringing down the enormous pressure on Virudhunagar - Madurai section.