Chennai division spends Rs 40.82 crore towards passenger amenities
S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @Svs037
Chennai division of Southern Railway is taking efforts to provide passenger amenities, said divisional railway manager P. Mahesh during the 71st Republic Day celebrations at NGO Annexe Building at Park Town in Chennai.
An amount of Rs. 40.82 crore was spent towards providing passenger amenities during the year 2019. Provision of escalators at Chennai Egmore and Katpadi and One lift at Arakkonam were among the amenities. Also, free WIFI connection to passengers has been provided at 135 Railway Stations in Chennai division, he said.
On an average, 70 trains including weekly trains and EMU services are escorted by Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Chennai division on a daily basis considering the vulnerability of the train/section during night hours.
Women RPF staff are being deployed for six ladies/general trains running in Arakkonam-Velachery-Arakkonam and Tambaram-Chennai Beach-Tambaram section on daily basis. He stated that a portable Unreserved Ticketing System was made functional at Urappakkam Halt station from 10 October last year and food track A2B was inaugurated at Dr.MGR Chennai Central.
Double exit platforms is under progress at eight stations namely Chennai Egmore, Chennai chetpet, Guindy, Kodambakkam, Saidapet, St.Thomas Mount, Pallavaram and Chrompet. About 2735 RM of boundary wall has been constructed in sub-urban sections to prevent run over of human and cattles.
He also said Rs.38.97 lakhs was saved due to commissioning of solar power plants at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Tambaram, Royapuram, Moore Market Complex, Jolarpettai and Chengalpattu during this year. Detour line between Takkolam and Arakkonam for a length of 9.44 Km was commissioned and electrified.
Chennai division has achieved a loading of 6.873 metric tonnes during the first nine months, from April to December 2019. During this year, Chennai division achieved all time high in loading of 293 automobile rakes with earnings of Rs.73.36 crore, showing an increase of 17.83%, over corresponding period of last year.
Earnings of Rs.2465.55 crore was achieved by the division during the first nine months and Rs.15 crore was earned towards ticket checking. He said that an average punctuality of Mail/Express trains upto December 2019 was 80.71% and suburban trains was 89.86%.
Data loggers to monitor punctuality has been installed at all the train interchange points with adjacent division this ensures accurate punctuality monitoring, he said.