Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
Anil Kumar Lahoti, general manager of Western cum Central Railway has said that gauge conversion of Mhow-Sanawad section is likely to be completed in the next 3 to 4 years, while the work of doubling the Indore-Ujjain track will be completed by next fiscal.
Lahoti said this while interacting with the media here on Friday. He was on a day’s visit at the city railway station. He said that a fresh survey is underway to do away with the shortcomings in the plan to convert metre gauge into broad gauge on the Mhow-Khandwa rail route and the project is expected to be completed in the next three to four years.
Lahoti said that if the gauge conversion had been done based on the old survey, trains would have had to negotiate a sharp slope which was not feasible. Hence, a fresh survey has been undertaken for the project that was rolled out 15 years ago, he said. The contract for the fresh survey has been awarded and it is expected to be completed in May, following which the contract for gauge conversion work will be awarded. The project will bolster rail connectivity between Madhya Pradesh and southern India.
Talking about the ongoing tracking doubling between the city and Ujjain, he said it is expected to get over during the next fiscal, adding that the plan to run the DEMU train from Sanawad to Itarsi is in the final stage. He said that construction of Indore-Dahod new line would also be speed-up.
Earlier, the GM of WR Lahoti inspected the city railway station and coaching depot. He also took stock of passenger facilities at the station during the inspection including the waiting hall, medical self-check kiosk, CCTV control room and other passenger facilities.
After this, he inspected various units at the coaching depot, Indore and the ongoing maintenance work there. He also reviewed the
various ongoing projects and development works. Lahoti also met MP Shankar Lalwani and other local public representatives.
Divisional railway manager Vinit Gupta, area manager VK Makwana and other senior officers were present.
MP Lalwani bats for more facilities
MP Shankar Lalwani met Lahoti and placed several demands. He wanted additional trains to run between the city and New Delhi and a new train for Amarkantak. The Indore-Dehradun, Indore-Howrah and Indore-Gandhidham trains should be made daily. He also asked Lahoti to speed up the Mhow-Sanawad Gauge Conversion project and Indore-Dahod new line project.
