Southern Railway (SR) has prepared and submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the Railway board to increase the speed in the Chennai-Bengaluru section to 160 kmph.

It also prepared DPR for Chennai-Gudur and Chennai-Renigunta sections for 160 kmph, and submitted to the Railway Board. The average speed in the two sections is around 130 kmph.

The Railway Board had approved in principle the upgradation of speed to 160 kmph in eight routes of Indian Railways. According to a press release, various zonal railways were nominated as nodal railways for the preparation of DPR.

In the Chennai-Renigunta section, works for speed enhancement from the existing 110 kmph to 130 kmph were completed. Upon receiving sanction from the Commissioner of Railway Safety, the section is targeted for speed upgradation in the current financial year.

Speed enhancement works are in progress in Arakkonam-Jolarpettai, Jolarpettai-Podanur, and Chennai-Dindigul sections. It is proposed to increase the maximum permissible speed from the existing 110 kmph to 130 kmph in these sections.

In the Arakkonam–Jolarpettai section, the targeted date for completion is now advanced to March 2023 as this crucial section handles premium trains like Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains, the press release said.

Completed works so far

In the current fiscal, various infrastructural upgradation works have been completed and the maximum permissible speed has been increased to 110 kmph in the sections of Vriddhachalam-Salem, Thanjavur-Ponmalai, Villupuram-Katpadi, Nagercoil-Tirunelveli, Villupuram-Puducherry, Thanjavur-Karaikal, and Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam.

It is proposed to enhance the maximum permissible speed to 110 kmph during the remaining period of this fiscal in the sections of Arakkonam-Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur, Tambaram-Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli-Tenkasi, Salem-Karur-Namakkal, Cuddalore Port-Vriddhachalam, Dindigul-Pollachi, and Madurai-Vanchi Maniyachchi sections, the press release said.

comment COMMENT NOW