Chennai to Bengaluru @160 kmph? Southern Railway inching closer to reality

CHENNAI: With the railway board granting ‘in principle’ approval for upgrading track to run trains at 160 kmph in eight routes connecting Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Puri, the Southern Railway (SR) decided to appoint a consultant for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for increasing the track speed between Chennai and Bengaluru.

The railway board had decided to upgrade 9,628-km track along eight routes in the quadrilateral section and diagonal routes in the country for speeds of 160 kmph. It also nominated the SR as a nodal agency for preparing DPR for the 362 km Chennai-Bengaluru route, a recent order revealed.

Official sources said the DPR will determine the techno-economic feasibility of the project (enhancing the speed to 160 kmph) and provide technical inputs required. The railway board has already issued various policies for achieving a speed of 160 kmph. Now, a DPR will assess the available infrastructure along this route and identify the work to be carried out to attain 160 kmph speed in all aspects of the train operations.

Elaborating further, a railway official said, the DPR will assess the number of level-crossings, permanent speed restrictions, strength of track formation, condition of track and fittings, bridge strength, and fence requirements. On the power front, existing supply capacity, a number of traction substations (TSS), neutral section, and condition of other traction fittings and infrastructure will be studied.

Similarly, requirements regarding signalling system, interlocking of level crossing gates, and the requirement of Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) will be studied. The DPR will also assess the maintenance facilities of rolling stock and recommend advanced automated and instrumented diagnostic systems, added the official.

A few years ago, a DPR on a high-speed corridor between Chennai and Bengaluru suggested straightening of curves on tracks at over 200 places for achieving 160 kmph. But the proposal didn’t take off. A railway official said work to enhance the track speed to 130 kmph in Arakkonam-Jolarpettai, Arakkonam-Renigunta and Chennai-Gudur section is being carried out and is in the final stage of completion.