BG between Veilankanni, Thiruthuraipoondi: SR sends proposal

Chennai, Jan 11 (UNI) Southern Railway has sent a proposal to the tune of Rs 92 crore for the construction of Broad Gauge (BG) line between popular pilgrim centre Veilankanni and Thiruthuraipoondi to Railway Board, Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Velu said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi would flag off the Tanjavore-Thiruvarur BG line tomorrow.

The BG works on Manamadurai-Rameswaram, Pudukottai-Karaikudi would be completed before March 31.

He said the BG works on the Vriddhachalam-Salem route was going on in full swing and was expected to be completed by this year end.

A sum of Rs 50 crore was allotted for gauge conversion between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur, he added.

To a question, he said the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) was working on an innovative toilet systems to be introduced in railway coaches.

Earlier, inagurating a new reservation counter at Tambaram Railway station here, Mr Velu said works at a cost of Rs 3.2 crore would be taken up at railway stations on the Beach-Tambaram EMU suburban route.

The Southern Railway had planned to make Tambaram railway station one of the model stations, he said.

''Presently, works to the tune of Rs 1.4 crore have been finished at Tambaram railway station, which included new reservation counters and high-mast lights,'' he said.

A foot-over-bridge on the northern side of the Tambaram station and air-conditioned waiting rooms were also in the offing.

A proposal to convert the station as a terminal for an outlay of Rs 26 crore was under consideration, he added.

UNI