Tirunelveli: The sanction of the much awaited doubling of tracks in the Union Railway Budget brought cheer to rail users in the southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari which received an unprecedented allocation of funds for projects this year. Commuters and the business community welcomed the approval for the doubling of the 80-km-long Madurai-Maniyachi-Thoothukudi section at a total estimated cost of Rs 800 crore as this would enhance the movement of goods to and from Thoothukudi, which is fast emerging as an industrial hub in the south. The budgetary allocation this year for this is Rs18.29 crore.


According to the Thoothukudi District Railway Users’ Association secretary, M. Brahmanayagam, the sanctioning of the doubling projects between Maniyachi-Tirunelveli-Nagercoil to a distance of 170km for Rs1,700 crore and between Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram to a distance of 85 km at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore, would enhance better connectivity between the two major ports at Thoothukudi and Cochin. Sums of Rs 38.87 crore and Rs 20.58 crore have been allotted this year for them.


Allocation for the construction of a new line between Madurai and Thoothukudi via Aruppukottai too is a welcome step. The Rs 798.50-crore project, approved two years ago, has a budgetary allocation of Rs1 crore this year in addition to the Rs100 crore by way of extra budgetary resource. Further Rs85.69 crore has been allocated in the budget this year for the much delayed gauge conversion work between Shengottai in Tirunelveli district and Kollam in Kerala.


The southern districts have also been allocated Rs 4 crore for traffic facilities and yard remodelling works. The Melapalayam station is to be made a three-line crossing station with the budgetary allocation of Rs1 crore and another Rs1 crore has been allotted to make Tirunelveli-Sengulam a two-line crossing.