COIMBATORE:With the gauge conversion works on the Pollachi-Palakkad railway line having completed a few weeks ago, a speed trial run was conducted on the stretch by the Southern Railway Construction Organisation, in coordination with the authorities of Palakkad Railway Division on Wednesday.
A special train left Palakkad town station at 10.15 am and arrived at Pollachi junction, travelling at an average speed of 40 km/hour. During the return journey, the train departed Pollachi junction at 12.25 pm and reached Palakkad junction at 1.45 pm, travelling at 60 km/hour.
Deputy Chief Engineer Ramakrishna led the Construction Organisation team from Podanur and Mohan A Menon, Additional Divisional Railway Manager headed the team from Palakkad Division. Similar speed trial runs will be held in the coming days to assess the strength and durability of the track.
Palakkad Railway Division is also awaiting an inspection from the Commissioner of Railway Safety S K Mittal for final approval.
Almost all the works of the 54-km stretch between Palakkad and Pollachi is over except a few passenger amenity works, which will be completed in a few days. About Rs 400 crore has been spent for the gauge conversion work between Pollachi and Palakkad, which was started in 2008, said sources.
Surveillance Out of Order at Kovai Jn
A team of officials from the Signal and Telecommunication Department department of the Southern Railway, led by Chief Engineer A V Sivaprasad conducted a surprise inspection at Coimbatore railway station, following complaints that the scanning machines and CCTV cameras were dysfunctional for months. The inspection was held in the wake of a hoax bomb threat to Mumbai Airport recently. The team found that 20 out of the 79 CCTV cameras, four scanners and bomb detector were dysfunctional.
The team has instructed the officials concerned to repair the facilities at the earliest. The scanners, installed at a cost of Rs 25 lakh was supposed to be maintained by a private company. However, the firm claimed that their contract has ended and cannot continue maintaining them.