Railway Budget-2013 & Kollengode-Thrissur Rly

          

Railway Budget-2013: Aspirations while ambiguities prevail!

Can Southern Railway get new Coaches for trains operating in Kerala? Finish off B.G conversions and sanction KOLLENGODE- THRISSUR RLY to facilitate POLLACHI – THRISSUR chord line, as a fresh Green Corridor between Kerala and TN? A down to earth analysis of state of affairs prevalent in Kerala >>>>>>>>>>>>>

( Madan Menon Thottasseri,Chennai)

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The recent train accident at Alappuzha wherein the upper part of one of the bogies of Ernakulam – Kayamkulam Passenger train was partially dislodged from its under-frame shows the finger towards the laid-back attitude of our Railway system in timely maintaining of coaches at frequent intervals and ensure safety to the travelling public. For god’s grace the accident had happened while the said train was about to halt at the Station. This incident must open the eyes of the top brass in the Southern Railway to revamp the procedure on service and maintenance being followed in all divisions. There is no meaning in introducing additional trains, let it be upon adding the double line without concurrently providing infrastructure with adequate manpower for facilitating repair and maintenance of rail-coaches.

Neglect of Kerala by the railway ministry was not uncommon all these years and the situation remained same even when the state could get representation in the railway ministry. The investment in railway infrastructure in the state is meager though the state is in the forefront for patronizing railways. It may be a fact that Railway officials in Kerala, especially in big terminuses like Thruvanathapuram, Palakkad, Ernakulam etc. operate the scheduled trains under many constrains especially shortage of coaches, lack of facility and manpower for timely repair or maintenance of coaches etc. It is common that operation of more trains are made possible by optimum utilisation of rolling stocks in rail-coaches when it run continuously, generally as part of two designated trains, say an ‘up’ trip of the first train and a ‘down’ trip of the second train and ‘vice versa’. Usually coaches get just 5 – 6 hours break-time once in alternative days! Obviously, maintenance and service personnel may have to schedule for attending coaches only during this limited time. It is a disgrace that AC coach passengers were forced to travel in ordinary sleeper coaches in the prestigious Kerala Express to the national capital!

Actually there are blooming prospects for construction of many new railway lines connecting towns, pilgrim centers and tourist locations in neighboring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka the state with that of existing towns with rail heads in Kerala through alternative routes. Unfortunately even after incorporation of certain projects in the Railway Budget, for one reason or other the people have to struggle for the allocation of sufficient funds for completion of the new project.

At this juncture let me mention about the prospect of a ‘chord’ rail link from Pollachi (Tamil Nadu) to Thrissur (Kerala). This prospective ‘chord’ line will become a reality just by  construction of the 54 k.m long fresh rail link between Kollengode and Thrissur as Kollengode, a town in the Palakkad district falls under the Dindigul- Pollachi – Kollengode - Palakkad M.G railway line which is under conversion into B.G wherein the Pollachi – Kollengode section is with a short distance of 35 k.m. The rail traffic in the entire M.G stretches including Pollachi – Podanur section was closed for gauge conversions for the past three years. There was no adequate allocation of funds for the conversion project in the region. Just a 6 k.m long Coimbatore-Podanur section (M.G. parallel line) alone was only converted into B.G.  The only sign of progress in the project is the completion of B.G conversion in the 59 k.m stretch between Dindigul and Palani which was opened for traffic by introduction of Passenger trains on 20^th November,2012.



                                        Palani Hill Temple

[Palani (Tiru Avinankudi)  is the the third Padai Veedu, abode of Lord Murugan.The Hill-Temple is an ancient one, situated at an elevation of 1500 feet above sea level. It is a charming campus from where one can take a look at the Idumban Hill, the Kodaikanal Hills, the Western Ghats, the greenery of the paddy fields, rivers, tanks and the beautiful Palani town. The deity of Palani is known as Dandayudhapani Swami. The idol at sanctum sanctorum is made out of an amalgam of nine minerals popularly called Navabashana. It is in a standing position with a baton in his hand. He has the look of a person who had renounced all worldly pomp. He has just a loincloth besides the baton and is a mute messenger of the great precept 'Renounce all to reach ‘Me'!]

         Trial Run of B.G Locomotive in converted Dindigul -Palani section

[People eagerly watching the trail run being conducted by a loco engine on the newly converted broad gauge line on the Palani track in Dindigul on Sunday. 07.10.2012]

Inaugural Run of the B.G Train in Dindigul – palani section, on the M.G converted B.G Track

[Maiden run of First passenger train No.56774 to Palani starting its journey from the railway station in Dindigul on Tuesday – 20thNovember, 2013 on the newly laid broad gauge line. After a gap of 4 years, upon gaugeconversion between Dindigul and Palani, pilgrims are assured of  a comfortable and hassle-free train journey by theSouthern Railway. The first passenger train in this section, Train No.56774 to Palani on the newly converted B.G 

line was run on 20^th November, 2012. After special pujas, the beautifully decorated train, comprising eight general second class coaches and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches, departed from Dindigul railway station at 1 p.m. Trains ithis section halt at Akkaraipatti, Oddanchatram and Chatrapatti railway stations and reach Palani in one and half hours. The 59.03-km-long M.G line was converted into B.G at a cost of Rs.250 crore. There are 5 major bridges, 113 minor bridges and 5 five sub-ways were constructed on this stretch. Besides, 53 level crossings were rehabilitated.]

Kollengode – Thrissur Railway:

There is a long pending proposal for a new line between Kollengode, the erstwhile tiny realm and Thrissur, the city of pooram festivals which is actually very much significant for the B.G conversion project in the Palakkad- Pollachi- Dindigul route aimed to facilitate shortest route to temple towns of south Tamil Nadu from Malabar and Cochin regions of Kerala. A traffic survey for connecting Kollengode and Thrissur (B.G) was done during 1964-65 by the distinguished Padmashree P.N.Baskaran Nair (late) who simultaneously surveyed the Salem- Bangalore and Hassan – Mangalore lines. In fact this was the second survey, as the initial survey conducted during the pre-independence period in mid forties already went unnoticed. Though the said line was resurveyed in the year 2007, it is currently being resurveyed, afresh!

This account of a once shelved proposal for a railway line that facilitates Pollachi – Thrissur ‘chord’ line, can be included into the ‘wish list’ of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu so as to get the same incorporated into the coming Railway Budget/2013 as it has the potential to get refurbished. This railway line through the valley of Neliyampathy Hills can beyond doubt facilitate a fresh green rail-corridor from South Tamil Nadu to Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, bypassing the busy Palakkad junction and it will be increasingly significant for the tourism development in both states. Railway Ministry may have to simultaneously release adequate funds for early implementation of the said new line as well as for augmenting the completion of the gauge conversion projects in the region., viz. Dindigul – Pollachi – Palakkad ( 180 k.m) and Pollachi - Podanur (40 k.m)

Face to face during Kudamattem

(Both Paramekkavu and Thiruvembadi encounter "face to face and display the 'Kudamattem' in Thrissur Pooram festival) 

Pothundy Reservoir on the lap of Nelliyampathy Hills

(When I had Cruise trips through big rivers, lakes and oceans, and had Para Jumps and Scuba diving etc in certain tourist locations in S-E Asia, I have thought of our Pothundy Reservoir which has even better potential for these tourist attractions. Will Kerala Tourism look into it and see the prospects of introducing Cruises, water sports?)

It is desirable that M.Ps from Thrissur- Palakkad (Kerala) and Pollachi - Palani and Dindigul (Tamil Nadu) regions discuss on the Kollengode – Thrissur railway to refine their understanding of the project which is beneficial for the development of their respective constituencies. The said railway facilitates a chord line from Pollachi, the industrial town in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu well-known for the biggest market for vegetables, agro products, hill produce etc., to Thrissur the city in central Kerala, known for the Pooram festival. Thus it should not be seen just as a unimportanat line within the boundary of Kerala State. This rail link should if establisged will never have the tag of a branch-line due to the potential for busy traffic. Railway Ministry should envisage the rail link at a wider prospective as it links trunk routes at Dindigul and Thrissur through Palani and Pollachi. The Pollachi – Thrissur route will be direct green corridor from Madurai/Tiruchchi - Dindigul   region in Central Tamil Nadu to Thrissur. This line will be equally pertinent for the trade, commerce and tourism in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

MAP SHOWING  KOLLENGODE (KLGD)- THRISSUR( TCR) RAILWAY  - 54 K.M 

                        [Proposed Rly. Line Via. Nenmara and Vadakkumcherry]

It is very noteworthy that the proposed Kollengode – Thrissur line passes through Nenmara, the gate-way of Nelliyampathy Hill- Station the upcoming tourist destination and an ideal out-door shooting location for movie makers. The present Nenmara town is constituted by the erstwhile twin villages which are better known from the name of popular ‘vela’ festival known as  Nenmara- Vallenghy Vela , held in the first week of April every year. This festival attracts not only people of Cochin- Malabar regions and Coimbatore - Pollachi – Tiruppur- Palani regions of neighboring Tamil Nadu, but also tourists from bigger cities like Chennai,Bangalore,Mumbai etc. Of late foreign tourists visiting Kerala during the months of March- April are enticed by travel industry based in cities in the region like Coimbatore, Kochi and Calicut to witness the spectacular festival which is unique among the festivals in Kerala. The said rail link between Kollengode and Thrissur will give a face-lift to the paddy-cultivation and trading centers covered under Chulliyar, Pothundy, Mangalam and Peechi irrigation projects. Cruise rides in Peechi and Pothundy reservoirs are popular. It will be an enchanting journey by a train that chugs through the beautiful countryside surrounded by thick lush of paddy fields, coconut – areca nut farms, rubber plantations and picturesque hills!

Unfinished Yakkara Railway Bridge

A Death Ceremony for cancellation of M.G rail traffic (for gauge conversion) 

(A satirical Death Ceremony was commemorated for cessation of M.G Trains purportedly for gauge Conversion at Kollengode Rly Station on 06 Dec, 2010! Train Passengers Association in Kollengode protested by planting plantains on the  track, for  inordinate delay in gauge conversion and enacted the ‘death anniversary’ ahead of the second anniversary on 10^th Dec,2010 for termination of rail traffic in the Palakkad – Kollengode – Pollachi M.G line, part of the Palakkad – Pollachi – Palani – Dindigul M.G section.)

The on-going gauge conversion in Palakkad – Kollengode- Pollachi – Udumalaipet - Palani and Pollachi - Podanur sections are supposed to be completed in a phased manner as per the proposal to the Railway Ministry by Southern Railways. At this time on  restoration of rail connectivity between Palani, the temple town and Dindigul, the industrial town and district head-quarters enables at least Palani – Oddanchatram region to get access with major trunk routes viz. Chennai – Tiruchchi – Dindigul –  Madurai – Tirunelveli – Nagarcoil – Kanyakumari/ Thiruvananthapuram; Dindigul – Karur – Erode – Salem – Bangalore, Salem- Jolarpet – Katpadi –Chennai/ Tirupati sectors. The B.G conversion pending towards Pollachi and beyond (towards Palakkad/ Podanur) will be critical for the pilgrim traffic to the temple town. The gauge conversion work in the Palani – Pollachi section would be over before 31^st march, 2013 as disclosed by Madurai Divisional Manager A.K.Rastogi while addressing the gathering at Dindigul railway junction. There is no much of project development in the Pollachi – Kollengode – Palakkad section wherein 15 big bridges are to be constructed including the Yakkara bridge across Bharathappuzha near Palakkad town and around 175 smaller bridges between Palakkad and Pollachi. It is to be noted that the existing 5 k.m long Palakkad Jn.- Palakkad Town section is with the mixed-gauge ( BG+MG) line and thus will not involves any conversion work.


M.G line entry from Podanur and Palakkad sides to Pollachi Jn. Platform

A direct rail corridor from Pollachi to Thrissur by-passing the busy Palakkad will be much useful for the faster movement of Containers between Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) and Kochi (Cochin) Ports. The B.G. Link from Dindigul to Coimbatore Jn. through Pollachi will help the easy movement of export-cargo, mainly Tea from Nilgiris and Textiles/Garments from Coimbatore – Tiruppur industrial belt to the Tuticorin Port.

Due to its proximity to the Western Ghats, Pollachi has cool climate in all seasons. South India’s biggest cattle market and Asia’s largest jiggery- vegetable - hill produce markets are popular in Pollachi. In fact the central Kerala depends on Pollachi especially for Vegetable, kitchen provisions etc. Kollengode – Thrissur line that facilitates a chord line from Pollachi to Thrissur (89 k.m), the city in central Kerala known for the Pooram festival, should not be neglected as it has a tag of a branch-line within the boundary of Kerala.

Kollengode – Thrissur line will actually create a busy pilgrim rail route viz.  Palani - Pollachi – kollengode – Thrissur- Guruvayur link with a potential to operate round the clock train services between Palani and Guruvayur to cover a distance of 176 K.m within four hours. Operation of both Express and Fast Passenger trains through Dindigul- Palani –Pollachi – Kollengode- Nenmara- Thrissur line connecting trunk-route rail-heads of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Maduarai/Tiruchchi/Dindigul and Thrissur/Ernakulam respectively) will enhance the potential for traffic earnings and optimum utilisation of rolling stocks.

The Dindigul-Palani-Udumalaipettai-Pollachi B.G section creates a shorter rail route from Chennai (Egmore) to Pollachi as well as to Palani, the temple town well known for hill-temple of Lord Subramanya and Udumalaipettai, the growing industrial town with hundreds of wind-mills. It will be feasible to introduce direct trains between Chennai Egmore and Palakkad/Thrissur via Dindigul,Palani, Udumalaipet, Pollachi and Kollengode. There will be only a marginal increase in distance between Chennai and Thrissur when compared with the Chennai – Thrissur trunk route via. Erode and Palakkad. ( 642 k.m from Chennai Egmore Via. Vridhachalam, Tiruchchi, Dindigul- Palani - Pollachi - Kollengode against 628 k.m from Chennai Central via. Katpadi – Jolarpet – Salem - Erode and Palakkad). Further the gauge conversion in the Dindigul – Palakkad sector and also the new line between Kollengode and Thrissur will facilitate Tamil Nadu to become one of the major beneficiary states of the Konkan Railways.

The distance from Tiruchchi to Thrissur,Guruvayur, Ernakulam or Cochin Harbour Terminus ( via. Dindigul-Palani-Pollachi-Kollengode-Thrissur ) will be less by 69 k.m** when compared with the present round-about Tiruchchi- Karur - Erode – Podanur- Palakkad – Ottapalam -Thrissur route.

The distance from Madurai to Ernakulam  via. Sengottai – Punalur - Kollam and Alappuza, (after the gauge conversion in Sengottai – Punalur sections) is 411 k.m. Once the gauge conversion between Dindigul – Palakkad sections is over and also provide the new B.G. link between Kollengode and Thrissur, the Madurai- Dindigul- Palani - Pollachi- Kollengode - Thrissur sections will offer a shortest route to Ernakulam with only 351 k.m. Thus there will be a reduction of 60 k.m in the distance between the temple city of Madurai and Ernakulam (Kochi) the “Queen of Arabian Sea”.

After the B.G conversion in whole stretches of Palakkad- Pollachi- Palani - Dindigul sections while Southern Railway can make it feasible to operate express trains between Ernakulam/Guruvayur/Mangalore/Kozikkode(Calicut)/Palakkad and temple towns like Palani,Madurai,Rameswaram, Thiruchchi, Nagore, and Velankkanni in Tamil Nadu, it should simultaneously operate Passenger Trains as well. The Kollengode – Thrissur line, by-passing the traffic saturated Palakkad, if implemented will further reduce the distances between Ernakulam and all these temple towns by 46 k.m which is included the distance saved of 60 k.m cited above.

Further in future, the Thrissur- Nenmara – Kollengode - Pollachi- Podanur B.G.sections (129 k.m), will serve as an alternative route to the busy Thrissur- Palakkad Jn. – Podanur Jn. (125 k.m) double-lined trunk section. Thus Southern Railways can treat this route through the valley of Nelliyampathy hills, lengthier by just 4 k.m  as a ‘third line’ between Podanur and Thrissur, while it enables to skip the traffic saturated Palakkad Junction.

The Pollachi – Thrissur chord line will be advantageous for the tourism development of Nelliyampathy (Kerala), Valparai (T.N), Top Slip ( T.N) Hill stations and many water reservoirs- Pothundy,  Mangalam, Peechi,Vazhani, Malampuzha, Chulliar, Meenkara, Aliar, Sholaiyar, Kadamparai, Nirayar and Parambikkulam. It will not be extraneous if Tamil Nadu comes forward initiating for the Kollengode – Thrissur railway line enabling the direct rail link between Pollachi and Thrissur even if Kerala is not very keen on advocating for the same.

Ultimately the Kollengode- Thrissur rail link will add value to the tourism potential of Hill stations mentioned above. If implemented, Nelliyampathy will be easily accessible to foreign tourists landing at Kochi, Kozikkode and Coimbatore airports as they can reach the entryway of the hill station - Nenmara town by a train. Valparai and Top Slip will be accessible through Pollachi via. Thrissur – Pollachi, Palakkad – Pollachi, Coimbatore – Podanur - Pollachi routes. 

The top brass at Southern Railway must seriously probe into the issues entailing the immediate demand for additional coaches from the Ministry of Railways so as to overcome the incongruity in plying trains with crumbled coaches with a host of pests, cockroaches and rats. At the same time it must take the initiative for the immediate completion of gauge conversion projects. It must give due priority for the completion of the revised survey of the Kollengode – Thrissur railway and take forward the project for getting incorporated into the Railway Budegt-2013. This railway line will be a mile stone in the developmental work of the Southern Railway as it will lead to the introduction of trains from Madurai and Thiruchi to Mangalore, Mumbai, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Jaipur etc. via. Dindigul - Pollachi – Thrissur- Shoranur / Dindigul - Pollachi – Palakkad –Shoranur and then through the Konkan Railway.

It is very appreciative that a team of Southern Railway officials headed by Mr.K. George John, Dy. Chief Operation Manager ( Survey & Construction wing) had conducted   inspection of sites in Kollengode – Nenmara – Vadakkumcherry stretch and also had  interface with the Action Councils for the proposed Railway functioning at Nenmara and Kollengode in December,2012. Can we take it for granted that Southern Railway will put forth the Kollengode – Thrissur Railway Line to be eligible for implementation and assure its incorporation into the forthcoming Railway Budget 2003-14?   

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TIRUCHCHI – THRISSUR via. Palakkad-Erode:

Tiruchchi- Erode/141k.m +Thrissur-Erode/ 232 K.m               = 373 k.m

TIRUCHCHI- THRISSUR via. Kollengode- Pollachi – Dindigul:

Tiruchchi- Dindigul/93 k.m+ Dindigul – Pollachi – Kollengode/157+

Kollendgode – Thrissur/54 k,m                                                                          = 304 k.m

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Distance saved:                                                             373-304                         =  69 k.m.

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