CHENNAI: Southern Railway General Manager R K Kulshrestha said here on Wednesday that 12-car Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) train services between Chennai MMC and Avadi would begin next week.
Addressing a press meet at the Southern Railway headquarters, he said works to straighten the platforms to accommodate 12 cars had been completed in the Chennai MMC and Avadi section. “With 11 services a day, three additional cars would increase carrying capacity by 3,000 to 4,000 people a day “ he said.
He said that UDAY double decker Express with the state-of-art facilities would begin its first journey on March 15 from Coimbatore to Bengaluru. The train was the first of its kind for business class passengers introduced in the country.
Commenting on developing suburban section, Kulshrestha said the energy-efficient three-phase EMU t services would also begin from next week in the Tambaram-Chennai Beach section.
Noting that Tambaram terminal had been developed to accommodate more trains, the GM said that on completion of the Sengottai-Punalur gauge conversion, a direct train from Tambaram to Kollam would begin via Madurai, Virudhunagar and Tenkasi.
The frequency of trains operated by the Nilgiri Mountain Railway between Ooty and Mettupalayam would be increased as the Integral Coach Factory would manufacture 15 new coaches, he said, adding that the Golden Rock workshop in Tiruchy was going to manufacture two steam locos for the NMR. “In addition, a rail car is also to be handed over to the Southern railway by the Western Railway and it will also be engaged in operation after renovation works,” he added.
To a query on merging MRTS with Metro Rail, Kulshrestha said that the initial proposal had been sent to the state government and it was being scrutinised. On increasing the LHB coaches in Southern Railway, the GM said that out of 6,000 coaches maintained by it, about 518 coaches are LHB-type, he added.