RailEnquiry

PUDUCHERRY: Railways will construct road overbridges at all the identified level crossings that have more than one lakh train-vehicle unit (a unit obtained by multiplying the number of trains with road vehicles and is indicative of traffic at the level crossing), said Union railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday.The minister was in the Union territory to lay the foundation stones for road overbridges at Arumpathapuram and 100 feet road at an estimated cost of more than Rs 30 crore and to flag off the Puducherry-Tirupati weekly express train. He said the ministry would construct road over bridges at the five identified level crossings in Puducherry-Villupuram region. "Two road overbridges will be ready within one year and rest within two years," he assured.He said the ministry would entrust construction of approach bridges to the road overbridges to the Puducherry public works department. He said the ministry fulfilled two of its three promises made in the last budget and assured that Mangalore-Trichy train would be extended up to Puducherry soon. The ministry introduced Puducherry-Kannyakumari express and Puducherry-Tirupathi express.He stressed that Puducherry need to be connected with all state capitals and sought the Union minister of state in PMO V Narayanasamy, who attended the function, to seek more funds from the Union finance ministry for more railway projects for Puducherry.

Narayanasamy said the beneficiary states shares 50% of the expenses for railway projects and added that Union government liberally funded railway projects in Puducherry even though the government did not come forward to share the project cost.

Gauge conversion was progressing at full swing at Karaikal and more train services would be introduced after the work is completed.

Narayanasamy sought the ministry to introduce a Puducherry-Ajmer train. He also sought the ministry to upgrade the Puducherry railway station as a model railway station and earmark adequate funds for upgradation.