An amount of Rs 1,600 crore has been sought by the Southern Railway for
various on-going projects in the zone for the financial year 2010-11. This
includes Rs 600 crore for gauge conversion works, Rs 370 crore for doubling and
Rs 280 crore for construction of new lines.
In the next fiscal, the south zone had planned to complete gauge conversion
of about 300 km, including Tirunelveli-Tenkasi (72 km), Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur
(38 km), Manamadurai-Virudhunagar (67 km), Palakad-Pollachi (58 km) and
Dindigul-Palani (58 km) sections besides Nagore-Karaikal and Salem-Namakkal
portion of the Karur-Salem new lines.
By end-March 2010, the zone is likely to complete the conversion of Podanur-Coimbatore
(6 km), Quilon-Punalur (45 km), Villupuram-Vellore (150 km),
Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai (122 km) and the third line from Tiruvallur to
Arakkonam.