First phase of doubling on three stretches around Vanchi Maniyachi railway station to be commissioned on Wednesday

Though the work started in the first week of May, lack of skilled workers has slowed its progress, officials said

The second railway track work prograss in Thoothukudi on Tuesday.

The first phase of the doubling project on the Madurai-Thoothukudi/ Vanchi Maniyachi-Nagercoil broad gauge sections for around 45 km on three stretches around Vanchi Maniyachi railway station, will be commissioned late evening on Wednesday.

Mega blocks for line and power on the Madurai-Tirunelveli and Vanchi Maniyachi-Thoothukudi sections began on Tuesday morning, to facilitate the taking up of the final touches of the project. “No railway movement will be allowed on these sections on Tuesday and Wednesday to enable the work,” a senior railway official said.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RNVL) has taken up the doubling project along with electrification for 260 km, and had originally planned the integration of the newly-laid second line and the old line at the railway stations of Gangaikondan, Naraikinaru, Vanchi Maniyachi, Tattaparai and Kadambur railway stations at the end of March.

“The work that was taken up between March 16 and 28 had to be suspended midway after the State and Central governments announced lockdowns following the COVID-19 threat,” an official from RVNL said.

Though the work started in the first week of May, lack of skilled workforce, especially labourers from north Indian States who returned to their hometowns, slowed the progress of the work. “Men had to be mobilised from other places to bring the work on track,” the official said.

Earlier in March, RVNL had sought a limited period of line/power blocks on these sections when trains were run as usual. Now, the Madurai Division of Southern Railway is able to provide mega blocks for two days as, except for parcel trains, no other rail service is operated on these sections.

The final phase of the task includes the removal and insertion of points, signal work and overhead electrification work. As part of the doubling project, the new station buildings at these stations are getting advanced electronic signal systems.

The triangle of Vanchi Maniyachi-Kadambur (Madurai side); Vanchi Maniyachi-Gangaikondan (Tirunelveli side) and Vanchi Maniyachi-Thattaparai (Thoothukudi side) sections is one of the congested sections in the Madurai-Nagercoil/Thoothukudi sections. “Doubling of these sections will increase line capacity and thereby de-congest these sections,” the official added.

The project of doubling tracks on the Madurai-Thoothukudi section for 158 km and Vanchi Maniyachi-Nagercoil section for 104 km was originally scheduled for completion in 2022.