Manamadurai – Karaikudi railway section energised

MADURAI: The 61km Karaikudi - Manamadurai railway section has been energized with 25 KW power after Southern Railway principal chief electrical engineer A K Siddhartha inspected and certified the line on Friday.
Electrification work was completed recently and the inspection commenced on Friday morning.
Travelling in a diesel locomotive-hauled inspection train, Siddhartha checked the power line under the Sivagangai road flyover, the electric posts on the Manimutharu river bridge, Kallal sub-station, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board power line crossing over the railway line near Melakonnakulam, Kalkurichi railway gate, Sivagangai sub-station, Sivagangai railway station, the foot overbridge at the station and the electrification on curves in Karaikudi - Manamadurai stretch.
Siddhartha interacted with the railway trackmen and assessed their knowledge on the safety rules to be followed on this electrified route. He ensured the availability of caution boards at railway stations and in public utility areas warning people not to touch or approach high voltage electric lines.
After the inspection, the line was energized with 25,000 watt power for electrical traction. A speed trial run was held. The inspection special was attached to an electric locomotive. The train left Manamadurai at 2.20 pm and reached Karaikudi at 3.10 pm.
After the trial run, Siddhartha said the electric traction would commence on the section in ten days.
With this, yet another milestone towards zero emission in Madurai Railway Division has been achieved. Busy sections of the Madurai Railway Division like Madurai to Ramanathapuram and Trichy to Ramanathapuram sections are fully electrified, said railway officials. However, diesel traction will continue between Ramanthapuram and Rameswaram section for now.
Chief project director-electrification Sameer Dighe, principal signal engineer Sunil, principal power distribution engineer Surendran, Madurai divisional railway manager Padmanabhan Ananth, senior divisional electrification engineer Bachu Ramesh and other officials accompanied the principal chief electrical engineer during the inspection.