RailEnquiry

KOZHIKODE: The completion of electrification works in the Shoranur-Mangalore route is to be delayed with the railways announcing March 2015 the new deadline.Railway authorities had earlier maintained that the work would be completed by December 2013 and Kannur-Mangalore route by 2014.Railway authorities told the meeting of the Zonal Rail Users Consultative Council held in Chennai on Friday that the contracts for electrification of the Shoranur-Kannur and Kannur-Mangalore sections had been awarded and the works had started."The target date for completion of the works is March 2015," railway officials said in a written reply to the points raised by C E Chakkunny, member of the council representing the Malabar Rail Users' Association.The railways also poured cold water on the two decades-long demand for having a pit line at the Kozhikode station by stating that "there is no proposal for pit line work at Kozhikode and Kannur, since the existing amenities are adequate for the present level of traffic."The absence of a pit line has been a stumbling block in starting new train services from Kozhikode.The railways had two years ago granted administrative sanction for the Rs 20 crore project to construct a pit line at the Kannur station.Senior railway officials informed the meeting that the tender for providing shelters at two bays on platform no 1 and platform no 4 at the Kozhikode station was under finalization.Replying to a question, railway officials said the railway board had taken steps to fill up 607 constable vacancies in the Railway Protection Force, to beef up security.