The Hindu Business Line : S. Railway to introduce 10 more trains

The new trains include the Chennai Central-Bangalore City Shatabdi Express, which will run six days a week except on Mondays, the Chennai Egmore-Secunderabad Express on all days of the week and the Ernakulum-Bangalore (weekly) super fast express, according to Mr R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways.

Releasing the year's timetable, Mr Velu said Southern Railways would also introduce a daily passenger service between Chennai and Pondicherry via Villupuram. The Railways has sanctioned a Rs 8-crore electrification project between Pondicherry and Villupuram. The changes come to effect from July 1, he said.

This year, the Southern Railway earned a revenue of Rs 1.24 crore from advertisements in the new timetable, compared to Rs 77 lakh last year, he said.

The peak hour timing in the Mass Rapid Transit System has been extended by one hour and will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the morning and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening, he said.

According to Mr Velu, the Southern Railway this year will get 346 more coaches, including replacements, compared to 144 last year. Despite the increase, there will be a shortage of about 200 coaches, he said. Despite an increase in petrol and diesel prices, the Railways is not contemplating an increase in fares, he said, reacting to recent media reports of a fare increase being in the offing.

"We will come out with an aggressive marketing strategy and introduce concessional freight to attract customers," he said.

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