Jolarpettai Junction Railway Station serves as a major railhead under Chennai Division of Southern Railway handling over 190 train services daily. Southern Railway is carrying out major infrastructure and safety works during lockdown to obviate disruptions to passenger train operations.
Upgradation of 4 Km long Jolarpettai yard taken up during this period has paved the way for enhanced Speed and Safety of train operations at Jolarpettai. This vital yard modification work at Jolarpettai yard was taken up on May 14th and completed on 21st May, 2020. This will improve the speed of train operations. The existing permanent speed restriction of 15 kmph would be completely relaxed and trains can now be operated at 110 kmph without any speed restrictions. This would result in substantial reduction in journey time of trains passing through Jolarpettai. This saves 20 minutes in a single trip and 40 minutes for round trip of turn around trains to Bangalore, Coimbatore, etc., from Chennai
The upgradation works at Jolarpettai yard also included the following important remodeling works:
- Provision of main electronic interlocking cabin, auxiliary interlocking cabins and three object controller huts. This transformation from the aged route relay interlocking to modern electronic interlocking would ensure safe train movement synergizing the relationship between points and signals.
- Elimination of three diamond crossings (1 in 8.5 m). This would improve the safety and reliability of train operation by removing the complex layout.
- Conversion of two 2.2 degree reverse curves into simple curves and thereby increasing the speed potential from 80kmph to 100 kmph.
- Creation of facilities to receive and despatch train simultaneously towards Bangalore by creating isolation to goods yard.
- Provision of 3 sand humps to isolate the through goods lines and common loop from the main line
- Replacement of 40 double end points and six single end points with new point machines
- Renewal of 42 main signals and 24 subsidiary signals
- Replacement of 165 track circuits
- Provision of BPAC with HASSDAC at Salem and Bangalore ends
- Interlocking of last non interlocked LC gate in Chennai division has been completed during this work.
Source: Southern Railway Press Release
