Trial run over, Egmore - Beach rail line may be on track by March end
AM Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Southern Circle, Bengaluru, conducted the statutory inspection on the newly laid broad gauge electrified line between Beach and Egmore stations.
Image of the high-speed trail run conducted by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru on the newly laid broad gauge electrified 4th line between Chennai Beach and Egmore stations
CHENNAI: The city's express train network on the Chennai Beach – Gudur section is a step away from decongestion and augmentation of frequency of express/suburban train services.
The newly laid fourth line between Chennai Beach - Egmore stations, which has been the bottleneck on the Chennai-Gudur section and burdening the MGR Chennai Central terminal due to the congestion caused by freight and express trains movements, was put to test on Sunday.
AM Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Southern Circle, Bengaluru, conducted the statutory inspection on the newly laid broad gauge electrified line between Beach and Egmore stations.
Southern Railway officials involved in the inspection said that the CRS inspected the tracks and signalling system in the morning using a trolley and a high-speed trial at 90 kmph using an electric locomotive in the afternoon.
"The inspection will be followed by rectifications, if any, recommended by the CRS. Thereafter, formal clearance will be issued," said an official requesting anonymity. With formal clearance a mere formality, unless the Safety Commissioner comes up with critical findings as happened in the case of the newly constructed Pamban bridge, the Beach–Egmore fourth line would be thrown open for train traffic by the end of March or the first week of April, sources added.
Once commissioned, the fourth line would provide a dedicated line for freight and mail/express trains on the section, thereby easing congestion on the existing lines and freeing up space in Chennai Central railway station.
Originally scheduled for completion in six months from the date of commencement of the works in August 2023, the Rs 270-crore work was delayed largely due to hurdles in land acquisition. A crucial link between Beach station, one of the main points of origination of suburban trains, and Egmore, the second-most crowded express train terminal, the work caused significant disruption in MRTS services, which were temporarily suspended beyond Chintadripet for months together till last November.
The city's suburban train network witnessed major disruptions in service during the last fortnight in the run up to the CRS inspection.
