An electric locomotive hauled freight train proceeding on the Tiruchi - Karur single line broad gauge section on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for doubling the Tiruchi - Karur broad gauge section. The comprehensive report comprising a host of aspects, including the extent of land that would be required for the track doubling project and the estimated cost has been compiled by the Southern Railway Construction Organisation.The over 70-kilometre electrified single line section at present witnesses movement of express and passenger trains originating mostly from the Tiruchi Railway Division to different destinations in the western region in Tamil Nadu and to some important places in Kerala and Karnataka. The stretch also witnesses movement of freight trains in both directions.Vast portions of the Tiruchi - Karur BG section falls under the jurisdiction of the Salem Railway Division. Ahead of preparing the DPR, the Southern Railway Construction Organisation had carried out the Final Location Survey for doubling this stretch. A senior Southern Railway official told The Hindu that the DPR for doubling the Tiruchi - Karur BG section has been prepared by the Construction Organisation and the report is ‘under review’ by the Railway Board, New Delhi. The total cost of the doubling project is estimated to be around ₹1, 121.50 crore. The official further said the extent of land that would be required for acquisition for this project was about six hectares. The project would commence only after obtaining sanction and allocation of funds from the Railway Board. Despite being a single line stretch, the busy section witnesses operation of train services to Karur, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Salem mostly originating from the Tiruchi Railway Division and some inter-state express trains bound for Kerala and Karnataka such as the Chennai - Mangaluru via Tiruchi, Karaikal- Ernakulam and the Tiruchi-Palakkad services every day.Although there was a heavy demand from rail users especially those from the delta region for introduction of train services to more western destinations such as Pollachi, the single line stretch is proving to be a handicap. Track doubling would enable the introduction of more services on this route to cover more destinations. Published - December 24, 2025 07:24 pm IST
