CHENNAI: With demand for introduction of new trains getting louder, Southern Railway has decided to give the much needed infrastructure boost to Tambaram terminal to address shortcomings in introducing new trains.
The measures in upgrading the recently-developed Tambaram station involves augmentation of maintenance capacity of Tambaram coaching depot besides developing additional platforms exclusively for originating and terminating express trains at Tambaram station. In addition, a foot over bridge is to be built connecting all platforms on the station’s northern side. “Presently, the coaching depot has two maintenance lines and two stabling lines for coach maintenance. Besides developing five stabling lines additionally, the length of two existing stabling lines (120 metres) will be doubled. In addition, two maintenance lines would be developed. Thus, more coaches can be maintained,” Chennai divisional railway manager Naveen Gulati told Express.
Tambaran station has eight platforms and handles more than 1.5 lakhs passengers a day. He said the station will also get two platforms on the Eastern side (Velachery main road). “The existing (rail level) platform 8 would be developed to handle 24 coaches of express trains. In addition, two more new platforms would be developed,” added Gulati. The works do not require any land acquisition as the projects to be executed in railway land. “However, a school needs to evicted near coaching depot,” said Gulati.
The measures will facilitate Tambaram to have two dedicated lines each for suburban trains, express trains, pass through trains and freight trains.According to the proposed yard map of Tambaram, suburban trains originating and terminating at Tambaram will be handled at platform 1 and 2 , while local trains bound for Chengalpattu will be received and dispatched from platform 3 and 4 respectively.
While 5th and 6th lines remain non-platform tracks for pass through freight trains, 7th line will act a loop line. Platforms 8 and 9 will be used for handling pass through express trains, while platforms 10, 11, 12 and 13 will be used for trains originating and terminating at Tambaram. The measures aim at addressing the shortcomings in introducing new trains from Tambaram terminal. The new coaching depot at Tambaram began functioning from August 2017.