RailEnquiry

Southern Railway is on course to complete the gauge conversion of the Pollachi – Palakkad and Pollachi – Podanur sections in the current financial year, Rakesh Misra, Southern Railway General Manager said on Thursday.The railway electrification of Villupuram – Vellore section, Dindigul – Virudhunagar - Tirunelveli section, Vanchimaniyachi – Tuticorin section and Shoranur – Kozhikode sections are expected to be completed this fiscal, Mr. Misra said in his Independence Day address after unfurling the national flag and inspecting a guard of honour by the Railway Protection Force.The zonal railway has already commissioned the Salem – Karur new line and completed gauge conversion in the Manamadurai – Virudhunagar section. According to Mr. Misra, the state-of-the-art Integrated Security Systems (ISS), currently in place at 10 major railway stations, would be installed in four more stations during the current financial year, he said. The OP unit at the new railway hospital in Perambur was also on track for commissioning the fiscal. According to Mr. Misra, the overall earnings of Southern Railway have grown from Rs. 2,065 crores to Rs. 2,272 crores. During the first quarter of the current year, Southern Railway carried 274 million originating passengers, yielding an originating passenger earnings of Rs. 1,150 crores . Southern Railway also introduced 15 pairs of new trains, extended seven pairs of trains and raised the frequency of two trains. During the first three months of this year, Southern Railway has operated 1,040 more mail/express trains compared to last year.The general manager announced a cash award of Rs. 5,000 each to G.Yuvaraj, Inspector, RPF, Chennai Egmore, A. Sridhar, Inspector, RPF Training Centre, Tiruchi and B. Karthikeyan, Head Constable, Crime Intelligence Branch, Chennai. V.K. Dhaka, IG-cum-Chief Security Commissioner, led railwaymen in paying respects to the martyrs of the freedom struggle at the Southern Railway headquarters.In a separate function at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Mr. Misra, who is also holding charge as general manager, accepted the Guard of Honour by the RPF contingents.At Ezhilagam on the Marina which houses various offices of the State government, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration, T.S. Sridhar, unfurled the flag in the presence of other senior officials.Hoisting the national flag at the function organised by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), G.Karuppuswamy, Basin Manager Krishna Godavari-Pranhita Godavari said one well has been planned for shale gas exploration during 2014-15 in KG onland. At Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd, managing director A.S.Basu unfurled the tricolour at the Manali refinery.In Indian Oil Corporation, Executive Director (Regional Services) K.R.Suresh Kumar and ED (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) V.K.Jaychandran participated in the function.