CHENNAI: The newly-converted 75 km broad gauge line in the Madurai-Theni section was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The project was completed at a cost of Rs 506 crore.
The PM also flagged off the inaugural Madurai - Theni unreserved express special through video conferencing. A regular daily unreserved express special train will be introduced between Madurai and Theni from Friday onwards.
The unreserved special will leave Madurai at 8.30 am and reach Theni at 9.35 am with the stoppages at Vadapalanji (8.44 am), Usilampatti (9.04 am) and Andipatti (9.19 am).
On the return journey, the train will leave Theni at 6.15 pm and reach Madurai at 7.35 pm. The train will stop at Andipatti (6.28 pm), Usilampatti (6.46 pm) and Vadapalanji (7.04 pm).
The 90-km line between Madurai and Bodi was developed during the British period as a narrow gauge between 1925 and 1928 and was later converted into a meter gauge in 1953-54.
Two pairs of passenger trains were operated on the line till it was closed on December 31, 2010 and the trains ferried cardamom from Bodi to other parts of the Country.
The meter gauge trains received overwhelming patronage from the rail passengers and tourists visiting Theni and Idukki district of Kerala.
The last leg of the 14.3 km line work between Theni and Bodi is in the final stage and expected to be completed in a few months. "The train will be extended up to Bodi upon completion of the pending works," said a senior railway official.
Last year, the railways proposed to extend the Chennai - Madurai Superfast express (Tri-weekly) and a few other trains to Theni.
"We are yet to be informed about the extension of any express train to Theni from the railway board," added the official.