Tuesday, November 11, 2014

B.G trains in the offing at Pollachi while Palani – Pollachi B.G line awaits CRS inspection! When will the B.G conversion in the Pollachi – Kollengode - Palakkad M.G section be over enabling B.G trains chug through the same? What is the fate of Kollengode – Thrissur B.G railway line that was shelved for 50 years?



(Madan Menon Thottasseri        email: tmadan.menon@gmail.com )

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The only sign of progress in the gauge conversion in the Dindigul – Palani - Pollachi – Kollengode - Palakkad section is the completion of M.G to B.G conversion in the 59 k.m stretch between Dindigul and Palani which was opened for traffic by introduction of Passenger trains on 20th November,2012. This is just a small part of the above said Dindigul – Palakkad Jn.(180 k.m) and Pollachi – Podanur (40 k.m) M.G sections wherein rail traffic in these M.G stretches were closed for gauge conversions since December,2008. 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 to B.G line) alone was only converted into B.G. until 2012 in this stretch.

Happy to know now that the gauge conversion in the Palani – Pollachi stretch (67 k.m) is completed waiting for the CRS Inspection so as to facilitate running of trains in the section.  Conversion work in the pending stretch of Pollachi – Kollengode – Palakkad ( 58 k.m) is to be expedited so that Southern Railway can make it feasible to operate express trains between Alappuza (Alleppy);Ernakulam;Guruvayur;Mangalore;Kozikkode(Calicut);Palakkad and temple towns like Palani,Madurai,Rameswaram, Thiruchchi (Trichy) , Nagore, and Velankkanni in Tamil Nadu. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will inspect the recently completed broad gauge line on the Palani-Pollachi section on November on 24 and 25 as reported by the Times of India today ( 9th November,2014).  CRS certification will entail the section to run goods trains initially and passenger traffic will be made possible only after few months.

Pollachi – Kollengode - Palakkad Town – Palakkad Junction M.G section under B.G conversion is 58 k.m (35+23) while it includes the 5 k.m long Mixed-Gauge ( M.G and B.G together) section between Palakkad Town and Palakkad Junction. Currently some B.G trains are originated/terminated at Palakkad Town.


I have taken note of two recent instances that had caused further delay of the B.G conversion in the Pollachi – Palakkad stretch. Inetially there was an issue in respect of earth filling for railway lines under the conversion projects (also for for National High-ways’ developmental works) when State Environment Impact Assessment Authority
(SEIAA) had not given instant permission for facilitating the same. I have rightly put forth opinions in online editions of news-papers in end August, 2014 requesting the SEIAA to convene a special sitting exclusively for clearing these applications that entail instantaneous attention to avoid delay in execution of railway projects like Palakkad – Pollachi gauge conversion work which is expected to be made ready by December, 2014 for trial run in the B.G line. I presume that the state government did seek cooperation of the SEIAA to facilitate the implementation of the said gauge conversion in the the Kerala – Tamil Nadu inter-state rail corridor which is one of the most important developmental projects in peninsular plateau of southern India.

The second impediment was in the last month (October,2014) when workers in Kerala were on strike and have even demanded the so called ‘Nokkukooli’ (Gawking wages or wages for just looking on!) since skilled laborers were deployed for technical jobs like welding of tracks.  Of course I have commented against this cautioning that the abnormally delayed B.G conversion project will overrun cost and time. It was rather hooliganism to prevent the implementation of the project by obstinately insisting on employment of local unskilled and unqualified/inexperienced labourers wherein certain the technical jobs are to be necessarily done by skilled and experienced/qualified labourers. I wanted Kerala government to  immediately interfere even through the judicial track (with a court order etc.) and facilitate uninterrupted deployment of skilled labourers, let them be from any region enabling the timely completion of the gauge conversion project in the Palakkad - Pollachi section. Fortunately last week I could see news report about the withdrawal of the strike and resumption of welding works. I hope that  people’s forums in the region that are keenly advocating for the early completion of the project for resumption of rail traffic must come forward and persecute such trade unions that thwart developmental projects like railway gauge conversion, high-way construction etc.

There is a long pending proposal for a new line between Kollengode (lying in the Pollachi - Palakkad M.G section under gauge conversion), 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. The line was resurveyed in the year 2007. It is very significant that the proposed Kollengode – Thrissur line passes through Nenmara, the gate-way of Nelliyampathy Hill- Station which is one of the fast emergent tourist destinations in the state of Kerala. It is noteworthy that the present Nenmara town is constituted by the erstwhile twin villages which are better known from the name of popular ‘vela’ festival- the Nenmara- Vallenghy Vela , held in the first week of April every year. This festival attracts not only people of Kerala and the neighboring Tamil Nadu. Tourists from bigger cities 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 rated at par with Thrissur Pooram. 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 – arecanut farms, rubber plantations and picturesque hills!




It is to be noted that a direct rail corridor from Pollachi to Thrissur ( 54 k.m Chord-line) by-passing the busy Palakkad will be emerged out if the pending Kollengode - Thrissur railway line becomes a reality which will be useful for the faster movement of Containers between Tuticorin and Cochin Ports. It is very distressing to note that the Kollengode - Thrissur railway project was ignored by the Railway Ministry for the past 50 years!

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 and vegitable market are popular in Pollachi. In fact the central Kerala depends on Pollachi for Vegitable, kitchen provisions etc. The rail link from Pollachi towards Thrissur, Palakkad and Podanur/Coimbatore, all lying in trunk rail routes will have blooming prospects for optimum utilisation of rolling stock and augmentation of traffic earnings in the Palakkad and Madurai railway divisions.

The distance from Tiruchchi to Thrissur, Guruvayur or Ernakulam/Kochi ( via. Manapparai - Dindigul – oddanchatram – Palani - Udumalaipet -  Pollachi – Kollengode - Nenmara- Vadakkumcherry- Mannuthy - Thrissur/304 k.m) will be less by 69 k.m when compared with the present round-about Tiruchchi- Karur - Erode – Podanur- Palakkad – Ottapalam – Wadakkancherry – Thrissur (373 k.m) route.

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 (instead of the round-about link through Palakkad) 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 a straight line (Chord Line) 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. 

No barriers of state should affect the railway line that offers adequate scope to operating round the clock pilgrim shuttle services between Palani and Guruvayur to cover a distance of 176 K.m within four and half hours. Both Express and Fast Passenger trains can be operated through Dindigul- Palani –Pollachi –Kollengode-Nenmara- Thrissur line connecting rail-heads in trunk-routes of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Maduarai/Dindigul/Thiruchchi and Thrissur/Ernakulam) respectively.

I think that there no much of enthusiastic demand for this railway line from the Thrissur region, even though this line will entail Thrissur to become a busy railway junction. Thus  people’s forums and trade associations in Thrissur may have to carry the mantle to demand this new railway line.

I have been advocating for the implementation of the Kollengode - Thrissur railway for the past two decades. Readers can see my articles/blogs on the same. Hope that the said railway which was shelved since the first post-independence survey in 1964 will become a reality and change the face of the Pollachi - Kollengode - Nenmara - Vadakkumcherry - Thrissur region. Kollengode - Thrissur line will be a deviation from Kollengode, from the Pollachi- Kollengode - Palakkad M.G section, that currently under gauge-conversion.  It actually creates a chord-line between Thrissur and Pollachi. Let us hope that the Union Railway Budget 2015-16 will formally sanction this project with adequate release of funds.


                                                       A valley view at Nelliyampathy 

Let me put forth apprehensive questions to the Ministry of Railways. Since the railway Line upon conversion of M.G line from Dindigul in the offing at Pollachi, when will the line be ready in the Pollachi - Kollengode - Palakkad section completing the Dindigul – Palakkad gauge conversion project? Will the new B.G railway line that was shelved for five decades from Kollengode to Thrissur becomes a reality and enable a rail link through the valley of Nelliyampathy Hills?



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