Title - Survey for electrification of two BG lines sanctioned

The Railway Ministry has sanctioned surveys for electrification of two broad gauge lines in Tamil Nadu in the current fiscal.The Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), a nodal agency implementing electrification projects across the country through its nine project units, has been entrusted with the task of carrying out the surveys for electrification of the Tiruchi – Thanjavur – Karaikal and Tiruchi – Karur – Erode – Dindigul BG sections.The Railway Ministry in its 2012-13 budget had accorded sanction for the electrification surveys after Southern Railway authorities forwarded detailed proposals to the Railway Board.The Chennai project unit of the CORE, which is executing various electrification projects in Southern Railway and Southern Western Railway zones, is expected to submit the detailed estimates for electrification of the two BG lines in three to four months upon completion of the surveys.

CORE official
A top CORE official said electrification of 530 route kilometres was currently underway in various sections in Tamil Nadu. The official said the Dindigul – Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram – Kanyakumari BG sections had been accorded top priority and would be energised shortly.Joint checks were being carried out in the Madurai – Tuticorin and Tirunelveli – Nagercoil sections which are expected to be energised before this financial year.Electrification up to Kanyakumari would pave the way for operation of end-to-end express trains hauled by electric locomotives in the Chennai – Kanyakumari trunk route via Tiruchi without a loco change midway.In the Chennai – Tiruchi – Kanyakumari trunk route, the section from Chennai to Dindigul has already been electrified.The official said electrification works in the Villupuram – Vellore BG section is expected to be completed in the current fiscal.The Railway Ministry, he said, had accorded sanction for 10 new electrification projects in the 2012-13 budget that includes Coimbatore – Mettupalayam; Hospet – Guntakal and Torangallu – Ranjitpura; Amla - Chhindwara- Kalumna and Itarsi – Manikpur – Cheoki sections.