Once Doubling Work Between Ernakulam Town Station & Kathrikadavu Ends, The Regular 10-Minute Delay Caused In This Stretch Will Cease
Thrissur: Passengers, who have strolled aimlessly along crowded platforms for hours awaiting the arrival of their train this week, can look forward to some respite by Monday night when the track-doubling work between Ernakulam Town railway station and Kathrikadavu ends. What’s more, travel time will be reduced by 10 minutes on this stretch next week.
For years, the doubling work of the track between Ernakulam Town station and Kathrikadavu waskepton hold.Hence, alltrainshadtobedetained near theKathrikadavuBridgefor atleast10 minutes to get signal clearance every time. A state where track occupancy overshot 100% 10 years ago, this 1.8 km stretch was a bottleneck for both railways and passengers.
Hence, starting the doubling work at one of the busiest stretches in the state was not an easy task. “At least 120 workers under civil, electrical and signal and telecommunications departments are on duty at a time to complete the work started on April 14. Our deadline is April 29,” said a senior officer the Thiruvananthapuram railway division.
When contacted, Ernakulam area manager of Southern Railway PL Ashok Kumar said all works including track-laying, sleeper-laying, track-joining andoverheadwirestringing –exceptinspection of electricity transmission – are completely done by hand. “Since the signal system is also being upgraded we are currently navigating trains without automatic signal system and track clamping facilities. The unexpected showers did hamper our work, but we are still on schedule to finish things by Monday night,” he said.
Trains are cleared manually along this route and station masters at Ernakulam Junction and Town stations hand over a memo to the loco pilot that allows him to pass through the Kathrikadavu stretch. The loco pilot has to acknowledge the memo in writing. Employees have been deployed at each point (where tracks are diverted) to set, clamp and padlock the track every time a train passes through. “Everything has to be tested before, during and after a train crosses the stretch,” Kumar said.
Trains will gain a time advantage of 15 minutes between Ernakulam and Kottayam once the doubling work between Piravom Road-Mulanthuruthy is completed by May 31. However, the change in timetable will be seen next year when Railways reworks its timetable.
Even members of the railway passengers associations in the area understand the importance of the work taken up by railways. “Doubling of this line was inevitable. This is definitely a tedious job and we believe railways can complete the work within the stipulated time. They have also made elaborate arrangements to inform passengers in advance about the time change and delay of trains through media,” said P Krishnakumar, general secretary, Thrissur Railway Passengers Association.
For years, the doubling work of the track between Ernakulam Town station and Kathrikadavu waskepton hold.Hence, alltrainshadtobedetained near theKathrikadavuBridgefor atleast10 minutes to get signal clearance every time. A state where track occupancy overshot 100% 10 years ago, this 1.8 km stretch was a bottleneck for both railways and passengers.
Hence, starting the doubling work at one of the busiest stretches in the state was not an easy task. “At least 120 workers under civil, electrical and signal and telecommunications departments are on duty at a time to complete the work started on April 14. Our deadline is April 29,” said a senior officer the Thiruvananthapuram railway division.
When contacted, Ernakulam area manager of Southern Railway PL Ashok Kumar said all works including track-laying, sleeper-laying, track-joining andoverheadwirestringing –exceptinspection of electricity transmission – are completely done by hand. “Since the signal system is also being upgraded we are currently navigating trains without automatic signal system and track clamping facilities. The unexpected showers did hamper our work, but we are still on schedule to finish things by Monday night,” he said.
Trains are cleared manually along this route and station masters at Ernakulam Junction and Town stations hand over a memo to the loco pilot that allows him to pass through the Kathrikadavu stretch. The loco pilot has to acknowledge the memo in writing. Employees have been deployed at each point (where tracks are diverted) to set, clamp and padlock the track every time a train passes through. “Everything has to be tested before, during and after a train crosses the stretch,” Kumar said.
Trains will gain a time advantage of 15 minutes between Ernakulam and Kottayam once the doubling work between Piravom Road-Mulanthuruthy is completed by May 31. However, the change in timetable will be seen next year when Railways reworks its timetable.
Even members of the railway passengers associations in the area understand the importance of the work taken up by railways. “Doubling of this line was inevitable. This is definitely a tedious job and we believe railways can complete the work within the stipulated time. They have also made elaborate arrangements to inform passengers in advance about the time change and delay of trains through media,” said P Krishnakumar, general secretary, Thrissur Railway Passengers Association.
(Shyam PV, Times of India dt 27-4-2014)
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