Madurai railway division will start electric traction of major passenger trains from December 29, and started operating Trichy - Tirunelveli Intercity Express under electric traction on a trial basis from Monday. Divisional railway manager A K Rastogi said that they were conducting trials with Trichy - Tirunelveli Intercity Express till December 27 or 28.
"After that we will start electric traction of six daily trains and four more weekly and biweekly trains, running to long distances like Howrah," he said.
Earlier, Rastogi has announced that Pearl City Express, Nellai Express, Ananthapuri Express, Kanyakumari Express, Guruvayur Express and Trichy - Tirunelveli Intercity Express will go on electric traction after commissioner of railway safety (CRS) S K Mittal completed his statutory safety audit on Virudhunagar - Vanchimaniyachchi - Tuticorin and Vanchimaniyachchi - Tirunelveli sections on December 11. Four more long-distance trains will go on electric traction from December 29, railway officials said.
With a total route of 189km, the project of electrification between Madurai and Tirunelveli/Tuticorin at a cost of Rs 175 crore was sanctioned in 2009-2010. The work started in May 2010 and was successfully completed by October this year. According to railway officials, electric traction will improve train speed by 40 to 60 minutes since there will be smooth acceleration and deceleration of trains. It will also save lakhs of rupees the railway spends on diesel fuel to haul trains using diesel locomotives and subsequent loco failures leaving trains stranded in between. Moreover, it will provide seamless traction from Chennai till Thiruvananthapuram and beyond.
The need to swap diesel for electric locomotive can be ruled out for trains running beyond Madurai since electric traction at present ends in Madurai. However, it is available beyond Tirunelveli. As the first electric train arrived to Tirunelveli on Monday, rail users' forums welcomed the trains.
"After that we will start electric traction of six daily trains and four more weekly and biweekly trains, running to long distances like Howrah," he said.
Earlier, Rastogi has announced that Pearl City Express, Nellai Express, Ananthapuri Express, Kanyakumari Express, Guruvayur Express and Trichy - Tirunelveli Intercity Express will go on electric traction after commissioner of railway safety (CRS) S K Mittal completed his statutory safety audit on Virudhunagar - Vanchimaniyachchi - Tuticorin and Vanchimaniyachchi - Tirunelveli sections on December 11. Four more long-distance trains will go on electric traction from December 29, railway officials said.
With a total route of 189km, the project of electrification between Madurai and Tirunelveli/Tuticorin at a cost of Rs 175 crore was sanctioned in 2009-2010. The work started in May 2010 and was successfully completed by October this year. According to railway officials, electric traction will improve train speed by 40 to 60 minutes since there will be smooth acceleration and deceleration of trains. It will also save lakhs of rupees the railway spends on diesel fuel to haul trains using diesel locomotives and subsequent loco failures leaving trains stranded in between. Moreover, it will provide seamless traction from Chennai till Thiruvananthapuram and beyond.
The need to swap diesel for electric locomotive can be ruled out for trains running beyond Madurai since electric traction at present ends in Madurai. However, it is available beyond Tirunelveli. As the first electric train arrived to Tirunelveli on Monday, rail users' forums welcomed the trains.
