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Southern railways plans to build train terminal at Salt Cotaurs
Posted on: 13/Nov/2018 12:11:37 PM
Chennai Central and Egmore are the two main railway terminals of Chennai with almost all the trains to the interiors of Tamil Nadu and other states pass over, start and terminate. There is no scope of expansion in the two terminals as the localities were completely landlocked. Now the Southern railways has submitted a proposal to the railway board for developing a new terminal in the abandoned Salt Cotaurs yard. The project was planned with an estimated budget of Rs 78 crore that can be the fourth main terminal of the city after Central, Egmore and Tambaram.
Renovation of the area forming nine new line with five platforms along with entry/exit gates on Elephant Gate road should be constructed to convert the abandoned place. Passenger circulating center should also be constructed on the yard of 45 acres of land. Salt Cotaurs is located two kilometers from Chennai Central and the work can be started only if the adjoining bridge on the yard is completely demolished and reconstructed.
The yard was used as an unloading center for cement, fertilizers and food grains. Now it has been moved to Royapuram station. The plan to convert Salt Cotaurs into new terminal will serve for public with more than 10 trains terminating in Chennai from places such as Bengaluru, Salem, Mumbai and Tirupati. The new terminal will open platforms for more trains towards northern and eastern parts of India.
Chennai division of Southern railways cannot add more trains to Central owing to the movement of the existing trains with congested signal clearance. This issue can be resolved with the help of building new terminal at Salt Cotaurs said one of the officials of Chennai railway board.
Lack of platforms for idle trains is one of the main concerns in Chennai Central and Egmore. Trains are shifted to stations such as Kodambakkam and St. Thomas Mount located 10 to 15 kms away from Central for standby mode. This can also be sorted out with the new platforms constructed on the proposed project of new terminal.
North Chennai people can board trains easily from the new terminal in express trains connecting the Salem line. Salt Cotaurs terminal can operate trains covering all the important areas of Southern Railways reducing the overall train traffic on the busy terminals of Chennai Central and Egmore. Train congestion and longer transit time can be avoided with the help of new terminal for the people located at central and western parts of the city.
