Demu service to chug in by July-end
A new rail service linking Aluva-Ernakulam Town and Tripunithura benefitting two lakh commuters will be ready by the end of July . The work on the diesel electric multiple unit or Demu unit to be used for this service (similar to Memu), will be over in a month, said a senior railway official.TOI, in its February 22 edition, had reported about the railway's plans to start this service, including the revival of the abandoned old railway station and harbour terminus.
Sources in Southern Railway (SR) said Demu rakes are being manufactured at the integral coach factory (ICF) in Perambur near Chennai. SR general manager Ashok K Agarwal had said that the next Demu from ICF will be given to Thiruvananthapuram railway division. “After we receive Demu rake, we will be able to introduce a local train service along the Aluva-Ernakulam Town-Tripunithura stretch the very next day . The service timetable will be ready by then,“ said a senior officer from Thiruvananthapuram division.
There will be four shuttle services and the travelling time will be 45 minutes. The ticket fare will be the same that of a passenger train, a ticket from Aluva to Ernakulam Town and Tripunithura will be five rupees and Rs 10 respectively .While Memu runs on electricity, Demu uses diesel generator.
The introduction of Demu is the first part of railway's plan to introduce a local service connecting Aluva, Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town, Tripunithura, Ernakulam Railway Goods (ERG) sta tion (located behind the high court) and Cochin Harbour Terminus Station (CHTS).
Agarwal visited both ERG (used as a railway godown) and CHTS (frequently used for freight movement) on Saturday . The general manager reportedly told the Thiruvananthapuram division to `go ahead' with the plan to add both CHTS and ERG to the local service network. Later, sources told TOI that CHTS will be ready within four months. “We have tracks, platforms and signal system at CHTS. Initially , passengers will be bereft of modern facilities at CHTS.However, once the service starts, everything will fall in place. It will take six months to start service to ERG as we will have to reconstruct the entire 1.5-km stretch to ERG from the mainline. The renovation of the dilapidated railway station building will be done simultaneously ,“ said a source.
The plan is to run a light engine once the tracks are ready .“They will then operate parcel service from ERG to other parts to check the safety of tracks.Then we will approach the commission of railway safety (CRS),“ a senior officer said.CRS, under the administrative control of the Union ministry of civil aviation, deals with matters pertaining to rail safety and a new track can be used only after CRS certification.
Earlier, authorities had plans to electrify routes to ERG from mainline and the Ernakulam Junction-CHTS stretch to introduce Memu. “Electrification and restoration would entail a cost of Rs 30 crore. Demu can slash the cost to almost Rs 15 crore,“ the officer said.
A new rail service linking Aluva-Ernakulam Town and Tripunithura benefitting two lakh commuters will be ready by the end of July . The work on the diesel electric multiple unit or Demu unit to be used for this service (similar to Memu), will be over in a month, said a senior railway official.TOI, in its February 22 edition, had reported about the railway's plans to start this service, including the revival of the abandoned old railway station and harbour terminus.
Sources in Southern Railway (SR) said Demu rakes are being manufactured at the integral coach factory (ICF) in Perambur near Chennai. SR general manager Ashok K Agarwal had said that the next Demu from ICF will be given to Thiruvananthapuram railway division. “After we receive Demu rake, we will be able to introduce a local train service along the Aluva-Ernakulam Town-Tripunithura stretch the very next day . The service timetable will be ready by then,“ said a senior officer from Thiruvananthapuram division.
There will be four shuttle services and the travelling time will be 45 minutes. The ticket fare will be the same that of a passenger train, a ticket from Aluva to Ernakulam Town and Tripunithura will be five rupees and Rs 10 respectively .While Memu runs on electricity, Demu uses diesel generator.
The introduction of Demu is the first part of railway's plan to introduce a local service connecting Aluva, Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town, Tripunithura, Ernakulam Railway Goods (ERG) sta tion (located behind the high court) and Cochin Harbour Terminus Station (CHTS).
Agarwal visited both ERG (used as a railway godown) and CHTS (frequently used for freight movement) on Saturday . The general manager reportedly told the Thiruvananthapuram division to `go ahead' with the plan to add both CHTS and ERG to the local service network. Later, sources told TOI that CHTS will be ready within four months. “We have tracks, platforms and signal system at CHTS. Initially , passengers will be bereft of modern facilities at CHTS.However, once the service starts, everything will fall in place. It will take six months to start service to ERG as we will have to reconstruct the entire 1.5-km stretch to ERG from the mainline. The renovation of the dilapidated railway station building will be done simultaneously ,“ said a source.
The plan is to run a light engine once the tracks are ready .“They will then operate parcel service from ERG to other parts to check the safety of tracks.Then we will approach the commission of railway safety (CRS),“ a senior officer said.CRS, under the administrative control of the Union ministry of civil aviation, deals with matters pertaining to rail safety and a new track can be used only after CRS certification.
Earlier, authorities had plans to electrify routes to ERG from mainline and the Ernakulam Junction-CHTS stretch to introduce Memu. “Electrification and restoration would entail a cost of Rs 30 crore. Demu can slash the cost to almost Rs 15 crore,“ the officer said.
(Times of India dt 7-6-2015)
(Malayala Manorama Kochi dt 7-6-2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment