Chennai Suburban railway, Central, Egmore & Tambaram terminal updates.

[thillai_selvan]

January 6, 2012 By K. Karthikeyan & P.A. Jebaraj DC chennai

Southern Railway on Thursday started preliminary works for shifting south-bound trains to the Tambaram junction even as Chennaites were protesting against the proposal.

Divisional railway manager (DRM) Mr S. Anantharaman, assisted by ADRM Ms Usha Venugopal, undertook over an hour-long inspection at the station on Thursday morning assessing the requirements to make Tambaram the third terminal of Chennai.

To begin with, SR has decided to construct an escalator at the main entrance and another at the eastern side (facing Madras Christian College).

It was also decided to install common escalators for platforms 1 and 2 where passengers of suburban trains alight besides another one for passengers alighting from south-bound express trains on platforms 6 and 7, a feature already available at Egmore junction

Mr Anantharaman also instructed authorities there to expedite the gauge conversion (meter to gauge) works on platforms 3 and 4, which were started four years back.

With abundant space available, three additional platforms can be built to convert Tambaram station, which already has nine platforms, into a full-fledged third terminal of Chennai, railway authorities told this newspaper.

Thursday’s inspection was a feasibility study undertaken to assess the requirements for the terminal.

Less than a fortnight back, SR had clarified that it would only shift future south-bound trains to Tambaram and existing south-bound trains would continue to depart from Egmore junction.

The DRM and his team also reviewed the passenger amenities required for the terminal.

[PremChn]

Pedestrian flyover in Nugumbakkam railway station collapsed - 4 Injured.

http://www.maalaimalar.com/2012/01/0...se-in--Nu.html

[arun82]

Pre-feasibility studies on to put city on high-speed train map
Railways has identified six corridors for pre-feasibility studies for high-speed trains of which studies for four projects, including Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar, Howrah-Chennai and Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Thiruvanantha-puram, are already in process,” said A P Mishra, Railway board member (engineering).



Mishra was in the city to inaugurate a national technical seminar organised by the Institution of Permanent Way Engineers (India).



“Soon, Mumbai-Delhi passenger trains may ply at a high speed of 200 km per hour (kmph). Steps are being taken for enhancing the train speed. If things go as planned, trains will run at a maximum speed of 200 kmph in another five years, “ he said, adding, “A Japanese firm has undertaken a detailed study on upgrading the speed of the trains on the Mumbai-Delhi track and will submit its report for further decisions.”

“At present, the maximum speed of the trains in the country is about 120 to 130 kmph. Only trains plying on Delhi-Agra track travel at 150 kmph, which is the highest in the county,” he said. “Apart from this, steps are also being taken for overall upgradation of the operation speed of passenger trains in the country.”



“For increasing operating speed, a lot of things including up-gradation of overhead equipment (OHE), signalling system, less level crossings, fencing on either side of the track and more RUB’s and ROB’s need to done,” said Mishra.



Subodh Jain, general manager, Central Railway, hoped that best solutions will come out within the seminar for the betterment of high speed tracks and safety as well.

GM, Southern Railway and G C Agarwal, GM, Eastern Railway and Prashant Kumar, chief commissioner, Railway Safety were also present at the event.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pr...n-map/896759/2

[nambi83]

deleted

[ChennaiIndian]

Friends, can we move this thread under "Railways and Transportation" in the India thread? This way all railway updates will be in one place. We can definitely provide a link from the Chennai sub-forum.

[Vicvin86]

http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/CLW/Allotment.htm
30319 and 30320

[murlee]

Rlys to inspect 156-yr-old station to d'lare it 4th terminal

The Railway Ministry has ordered for a spot study and inspection of the 156-year-old Royapuram railway station in North Chennai for developing it as the fourth terminal in the city.

This follows a request by DMK MP T R Baalu, also Chairman of the Standing Committee on Railways, to Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi on a plea from his party colleague and North Chennai MP T K S Elangovan and others, a release from his office said.

"In pursuance to the persistent demand, the Minister for Railways has ordered for this spot study and inspection by a team of officers, who will be inspect Royapuram station on January 20," it said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/11553294.cms

[PremChn]

Originally Posted by murlee

Rlys to inspect 156-yr-old station to d'lare it 4th terminal




http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/11553294.cms

Same news in dinamalar as well.

http://www.dinamalar.com/News_detail.asp?Id=388996

[karkal]

Originally Posted by PremChn

Same news in dinamalar as well.

http://www.dinamalar.com/News_detail.asp?Id=388996

One more empty promise from C. Govt.They declared Tambaram as 3rd terminal with no money, same is being done for Royapuram as 4th terminal.

[thillai_selvan]

Now it is confirmed that Tambaram will be the 3rd terminal for Chennai

[arun82]

No smooth track for third terminal at Royapuram

CHENNAI: Several substantial issues need to addressed if the Royapuram Railway Station is to be made into the city’s third terminal. After inspecting the station here to explore the possibilities of converting it into a full-fledged terminal, Executive Director (Coaching) of the Railway Board Mukesh Nigam told Members of Parliament, T K S Elangovan (North Chennai) and N S V Chithan (Dindigul), and? representatives of the local people that several issues were involved in it.

Nigam said the Electric Loco Shed had been functioning on Royapuram station premises for five years now and this may need relocation if the terminal is planned here. Pointing out that the railways had almost reached an understanding with the Chennai Port authorities over acquiring a portion of the port land for quadrupling the railway line, he said the railways had promised to part with its printing press premises within the Royapuram station complex in return. Also, a portion of the land is with Thirumalai Chemicals Limited.

“It is to be seen if they will part with the land,” he said, adding that an electronic weigh bridge owned by the railways also was in that area. “This area is a hub for heavy commercial vehicles. The subway that is coming up near Stanley hospital cannot accommodate big trucks. When we talk of a passenger railway terminal, heavy vehicular traffic may be a hindrance. This has to be seen,” Nigam said.

Indicating that the cramped low roof bridges like the one at Mannarsami Koil Street could pose obstacles, he said,? “Our rail passenger association friends want us to take a bold decision by pulling down the century-old bridge. All these need to be debated.”


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-smooth...15-60-120.html

[arun82]

Baalu meets Sonia for fund allocation

CHENNAI: DMK Parliamentary Floor leader TR Baalu has urged UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to prevail upon the Union Government allot more funds to the State in the upcoming railway budget, considering the ‘snail pace’ progress of the ongoing railway projects here, on Friday.

According to a release, Baalu, who is also the Chairman, Standing Committee on Railways, met Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi in this regard, on the advice of DMK leader M Karunanidhi.

He also pointed out that the projects sanctioned to the State were on at ‘snail’s pace’ due to inadequate funding. Baalu had also requested Sonia Gandhi to advise the Union Cabinet to sanction some new railway projects including a fourth terminal at Royapuram in Chennai in the ensuing Railway Budget 2012-13.

In response, Sonia had also agreed to do the needful to the State to her best.

Baalu also requested the Union Ministry to sanction Rs 870 crore towards eight works which include doubling works between Tanjore- Tiruchy and Villupuram-Chengalpattu, Villupuram-Tiruchy-Dindigul, new lines between Mannargudi -? Pattukottai, and Vailankanni-Thirukuvalai-Thirutthuraipoondi, and construction of a third terminal at Tambaram.


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baalu-mee...38-60-118.html

[wlbkng]

Originally Posted by arun82

No smooth track for third terminal at Royapuram

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-smooth...15-60-120.html

Is it 3rd or 4th terminal? Why many of the modern day journalists have no idea of what they are writing about? I dont think that many of them do proper ground work of the news item they write with. So many errors and mistakes nowadays.

[arun82]

Originally Posted by wlbkng

Is it 3rd or 4th terminal? Why many of the modern day journalists have no idea of what they are writing about? I dont think that many of them do proper ground work of the news item they write with. So many errors and mistakes nowadays.

To keep the protesters quite they have cleaverly mentioned RPM as the fourth terminal. But they location is not ideal for a large terminal. The people from Koyambedu or central or Egmore has to be at the mercy of the auto drivers to reach RPM.

The number of EMU services from Beach is very less to enable easy transfer from Egmore and Central.

Also there needs to be a large MTC bay to accomodate buses from various places , which is not possible.

The Goods unloading yard has to be shifted. The Loco yard has to be shifted.

Biggest problem is RPM being sandwiched between two bridges.

I would suggest a huge contioner yard and loading area for Chennai port. This will ease the burden on the yard. Move the EMU Yard from Beach and there are huge tracts of land available opposite the port. Convert Beach station as the 3rd terminal.

[mr_madras]

idea is to decongest city & central station means ideal location is villiwakkam which will provide easy access from all point of city. definitely royapuram is not ideal choice, it will be usefull only for north-south passing trains can halt there instead egmore.

[staravindan]

Originally Posted by mr_madras

idea is to decongest city & central station means ideal location is villiwakkam which will provide easy access from all point of city. definitely royapuram is not ideal choice, it will be usefull only for north-south passing trains can halt there instead egmore.

Let all train bound to north from Egmore /Tambaram halt at Royapuram thats it.
Terminal for royapuram will be wastage of money and will congest the already congested north chennai.

[staravindan]

Originally Posted by mr_madras

idea is to decongest city & central station means ideal location is villiwakkam which will provide easy access from all point of city. definitely royapuram is not ideal choice, it will be usefull only for north-south passing trains can halt there instead egmore.

Let all train bound to north from Egmore /Tambaram halt at Royapuram thats it.
Terminal for royapuram will be wastage of money and will congest the already congested north chennai.

Instead of exploring new terminal for chennai ...let them look down south for railway development which wld benefit TN purpose instead of targetting chennai and investing large amt of funds

[murlee]

Will Royapuram Station regain steam?

The Royapuram Railway Station, which was once “Madras Central” station, today remains a shadow of its glorious past.

The 156-year-old station building, originally marked by arches, ionic pillars and high rise ceilings, is now covered in graffiti and in a state of disrepair. Access to the station is extremely restricted and many younger Royapuram residents even seem to be unaware of the existence of the station.

After the inauguration of India's first railway line in 1853, the Royapuram station was declared open by Governor Lord Harris in June 1856. On the inaugural day, two services – Royapuram to Ambur and Royapuram to Tiruvallur – were operated.

The station, the oldest in south India, resembled a Regency mansion in a quasi-classical style of the Renaissance Era. However, it lost its premier status in 1907 when the present Central Station became the city's main terminal point. With this, its decline began, even though the station, even now, is spread over around 70 acres of prime land.

Still, all is not lost. Of late, a renewed attempt is being made by sections of Royapuram residents for giving the station a fresh lease of life. These people feel that Royapuram can at least become the railway hub of north Chennai.

Thanks to their persistent efforts and representations to the Railway authorities, the Railway Board has formed a special committee to examine their demand. On January 20, the committee inspected the Royapuram station and it would present its report to the Board soon.

A.T.B. Bose, Co-convenor, Tamil Nadu Rail Passengers' Right Tribune (TNRPRT), points to the availability of open space that the railway station has. Strongly arguing that the station can be converted into the hub of north Chennai, he says that his organisation has done a comparative study of the availability of space in several railway stations in the country.

Royapuram ranks second in space availability with 2,46,000 square metres, next to the Howrah station in Kolkata. There are other factors supporting the revival of Royapuram such as the location of the station at the heart of the expanded Chennai Corporation. As the erstwhile northern municipalities of Manali and Kathivakkam are now part of the Corporation, Royapuram, if made the hub, would be closer to people in these areas than Tambaram on the southern outskirts.

About 10 years ago, a bid was made to revive the Royapuram station. It led to the renovation of the station at a cost of Rs.35 lakh. Addressing a function to mark the inauguration of the renovated station in October 2005, Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said that railway engineers, during their restoration work, had taken care not to alter the heritage features of the building. “After that nothing was done. Several other buildings on the station premises are in a neglected condition,” says a resident V. Gopalakrishnan.

Historian K.R.A. Narasaiah says that any restored heritage building should be put to proper use and should not remain a museum piece. “When they [Railway authorities] can maintain old railway engines, why not a building?” he wonders, adding that the Justice Padmanabhan committee, constituted by the State Government, has identified Royapuram station one among the 800 heritage structures.

An official of the Southern Railway says that all details have been furnished to the committee. If Royapuram is to be made a passenger hub, major changes are required. More buildings need to be constructed. Additional tracks and platforms too are necessary. All these involve a huge investment.

Would Railway Minister announce in this year's Budget the revival of the Royapuram station? This question is of great importance to the residents of north Chennai.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle2869758.ece

[PremChn]

[QUOTE=murlee;88332047]Will Royapuram Station regain steam?



Few years back they renovated the station by spending crores. Look at the status now.

The railway unions ad sucks.....

[Vicvin86]