The city is just a few months away from getting its circuitous EMU (electrical multiple unit) link. The long-pending Arakkonam-Tirumalpur electric rail connectivity, the last link on Beach-Arakkonam-Tirumalpur-Chengalpet -Tambaram-Beach circuit, is expected to be completed in three months.
Chennai:
Work is progressing to electrify the 6km stretch from Arakkonam to Thakkolam bypassing the airstrip of INS Rajali, while the 7km stretch from Thakkolam to Tirumalpur has near-ready electrified rail infrastructure.
Between Arakkonam and Kancheepuram, commuters now have only three passenger train services daily, as the division only operates two diesel powered passenger trains from Arakkonam to Chengalpattu via Tirumalpur and one from Tirupati to Pondichery for want of electrification on the route cutting through INS Rajali’s air strip.
Construction of the roundabout route skipping the airstrip was started after Defence and Home ministries declined Railways request to electrify the existing line or construct a new electrified line through INS Rajali.
“The new line will be a little less than 2km longer than the old route, but it will be fully electrified. The work started recently. We learned from divisional railway officers that the work will take another three months to complete,” said K Baskar, member of Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee, Chennai Railway Division, suggesting that the new electrified Arakkonam-Tirumalpur link will allow operation of more EMUs on both directions besides linking Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram district headquarters.
Once the 13km electrified route gets completed, the division can extend Beach-Chengalpet and Beach-Tirumalpur EMUs to Arakkonamas and MMC-Arakkonam and MMC-Tiruvallur trains to Tirumalpur, Chengalpet or Kancheepuram, Baskar added.
“Already six trains from Beach reach Tirumalpur daily. All that they must do is extend them to Arakkonam, which could be returned to MMC via Tiruvallur and berthed at Avadi for maintenance after service daily,” reasoned M Arun Pandian, who travels regularly on the route.
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