RANIPET: The Ranipet railway station, one of the first in the southern part of the country along with Royapuram in Chennai, will soon spring back to life as Southern Railway has been taking steps to operate goods trains from Ranipet to other parts of the country.
The station has been lying idle for long since metre gauge sections were abandoned several years ago. Then, the section between Ranipet and Walajah Road stations was converted to broad gauge but remained without any locomotives chugging on.
Recently, top railway authorities, including Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Southern Railways DG Mallaiah and Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai, P Mahesh, inspected the 100-year-old station as part of efforts to operate goods trains.
There is a potential for ferrying fertilisers from local companies to other parts of the country. “We are looking to operate goods trains to ferry fertilisers. We see the potential for it,” a senior Railway officer told TNIE. Business opportunities for transporting four-wheelers can also be explored as certain car companies operating in Kancheepuram district, bordering Ranipet district, are sending consignments to northern parts of the country.
Naina Masilamani, member of divisional rail users consultative committee, said that the efforts to operate trains from Ranipet station should be expedited as it will help improve commercial activity in the region.
“It is a 100-year-old railway station and a historically important one.
Steps for operating goods trains should be expedited as it will lead to a lot of commercial activities,” he said. It has been an industrial hub since British Raj . The new district with Ranipet as its headquarters came into being from November last year.