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The Southern Railway (SR) has been granted ₹3,855 crore as budgetary allocation for 2021-22. The outlay is ₹1,296 crore for doubling existing single lines, ₹178 crore towards gauge conversion and ₹ 224.57 crore for passenger amenities, said John Thomas, General Manager, SR.
The Indian Railways has been allocated ₹ 1,07,300 crore under Gross Budgetary Support (GBS).
The allocation under capital/GBS is key as the land acquisition for doubling existing lines and new lines are done under this capital. This will give a fillip to the infrastructure in SR, said Thomas in a virtual press meet.
Southern states
In Tamil Nadu, 27 on-going projects costing ₹30,961 crore over 3,128 km length falling fully/partly in the State are under different stages of planning/execution. Some of the projects in the State under the Vision 2024 are Chennai Beach – Attipattu 4th Line and Chengalpattu – Villupuram doubling that are completed and Omalur – Metturdam doubling got an allocation of ₹ 25.5 crore and is targeted for completion in March 2021.
New line projects of Madurai – Tuticorin via Aruppukkottai and Rameswaram – Dhanushkodi line got ₹ 20 crore and ₹ 75 crore, respectively. The doubling of Maniyachi – Nagercoil got ₹200 crore and the Madurai – Maniyachi – Tuticorin doubling got ₹ 300 crore in this year’s Budget, he said.
In Kerala, nine on-going projects costing ₹ 8,799 crore over 458 km length falling fully/partly in the State are under different stages of planning/execution. The projects under Vision 2024 include Kurupanthara – Chingavanam doubling that got ₹170 crore; Ambalapuzha – Haripad doubling that got ₹ 15 crore and targetted for completion in March 2021. Besides these, the Turavur – Ambalapuzha doubling, Kumbalam – Thuravur Patch doubling and Ernakulam – Kumbalam doubling got ₹ 10 crore each and Trivandrum – Kanniyakumari doubling got ₹ 275 crore, he said.
The Karnataka portion of SR in Mangalore also got covered in this year’s Budget as Kankanadi – Panambur doubling got ₹ 40 crore and is targeted for completion by May 2021. Besides this, under Vision 2024 an additional platform line, and provision of new 24 coach pit line in lieu of existing 18 coach pit line at Mangalore Central under traffic facility works are in progress and is targeted for completion by March 2022.
Electrification
SR will complete electrification of all broad-gauge gauge routes in its jurisdiction by December 2023. He pointed out that an allocation of ₹ 146 crore will give a big push for signal and telecom infrastructure. Major works involve setting up of modern centralised Train Control System in Chennai- Gudur and Chennai – Renigunta route, Train Collision and Avoidance System, LTE and Train Management System.
Thomas stated that vistadome coaches will be introduced in the scenic sections which are to be identified.
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