BG everywhere in TN in 2 years: Velu

Chennai, Nov 3: The remaining 324 km of metre gauge track in Southern Railway will be converted to broad gauge (bg) in the next two years, Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu said today.

Presiding over the flagging off function of the Chennai Egmore -Nagercoil (weekly) super fast express here, Mr Velu said in the current year the Ministry had sanctioned Rs six crore for Chennai Egmore and one crore for Chennai Central stations for facelifting and improving passengers amenities.

He said during the last two years 40 new trains were introduced and 20 trains were extended.

The Ministry had allotted Rs 745 crore for Southern Railway during the current year, of which Rs 325 crore was exclusively for gauge conversion, which was Rs 120 crore more than the previous year, he added.

He said due to various efforts by his Ministry, Indian Railways had surplus funds of Rs 13,500 crore last year and it was expected to touch Rs 20,000 crore during the curent year.

Mr Velu said the Garib Rath between Chennai and New Delhi would be launched before the end of the current year.

Speaking on the occasion, Tamil Nadu Transport Minister K N Nehru said those who alleged Tamil Nadu had not benefited from its 12 Union Ministers were now silent after seeing their performance.

In his address State Information Minister Parithi Elamvazhuthi appealed to the Union Railway Ministry to clear all pending railway projects in Tamil Nadu.

Southern Railway General Manager Thomas Varghese said during the current year they had operated 750 special trains so far and had generated additional revenue of Rs 20 crore.

Mr Varghese said for passenger amenities alone they had spent Rs 17 crore last year and the Ministry had given the green signal to spent up to Rs 35 crore during the current year.

Flagging off the new train, Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran said the Railway Ministry should take steps to introduce bullet trains connecting Chennai with other cities of Tamil Nadu.

UNI