SR puts Chennai-Gudur line on fast track at 130 kmph

CHENNAI: Rail passengers travelling to Andhra and New Delhi from Chennai could soon expect to cut down on their journey time considerably. Chennai railway division is just one step away from upgrading the speed limit of the Chennai-Delhi route (up to Gudur) to 130 kmph from 110 kmph.

Officials of the SR (Southern Railway) headquarters on Wednesday conducted a speed trial between Chennai and Gudur for the speed upgrade after addressing the ‘observations’ made by the Commissioner of Rail Safety (CRS) recently.

The CRS had completed his inspection in the section and proposed some minor upgrades for the speed upgrade. A report of the rectifications done and Wednesday’s trial would be sent to the CRS for clearance. Asked about the approval, Divisional Railway Manager Mr Ganesh told DT Next that the approval is subject to the schedule of the CRS. “The section does not require further inspection. CRS has already completed it. We will send the report post-trial. As soon as he approves, the section will be fit to operate trains up to 130 kmph,” the DRM added. Ideally, the CRS gives his assent for the speed augmentation in a week.

Notably, the aforesaid section in the Chennai division is to go through a speed upgrade.

The zonal headquarter has also sent proposals to upgrade the speed on Chennai-Villupuram and Chennai-Jolarpet sections, which link the state capital to major cities like Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Calicut and Tirunelveli.

In the same breath, a proposal for a similar speed upgrade in the Chennai-Renigunta section, which connects the city to pilgrimage centre Tirupati, is learnt to be in an advanced state of clearance.

Informed railway sources disclosed that the increase in speed would require infrastructure upgrades, especially the track and reducing the curves. “Once the section speed is increased to 130 kmph, it will reduce detention and journey time. It will also help increase the frequency,” a railway officer explained.