All guage conversions to be completed during present plan: Minister

Mysore, Jun 9(UNI) Union Minister for State for Railways R Velu today said that all meter and narrow gauge lines in the country would be converted into broad gauge during the 11th five year plan.

There are 12,000 km of meter and narrow gauge lines are yet to be converted, he said.

Flagging off the inaugural train between Mysore and Nanjangud broad gauge line at the city railway station, he said Railways would spend Rs 570 crore in Karnataka during the current financial year towards for the various development works, including gauge conversion.

Earlier, speaking after inaugurating the moderanised Bangarpet railway station in Kolar district, he said the Indian Railways had targeted to achieve a profit of Rs 25,000 crore during the current fiscal.

He said priority would be given to take up doubling railway track between Ramanagaram-Mysore.

Referring to the new line between Chamarajanagara-Mattupalyam in Tamil Nadu, he said that a case was before the Supreme Court as the proposed lines would run through national parks and an elephant corridor.

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