As the railway takes a series of measures to increase the average speed of the train, the average speed of the train runs under the Tiruvanaprum branch of the Southern Railway will be greatly improved. To this end, it has also been decided to adopt the main line maintenance standards for the circulation line. It is expected to benefit from 31 sites in the first phase.
In addition, it has been determined that existing switches in the track will be replaced by thick Web switches (TWS). Railway authorities say the TWS is designed to be more reliable and can be designed to speed up to 50 kilometers.
A partition review meeting held here discusses the operational constraints of many identified sites, where the main platform/platform 1 is located on the loop line. Compared to the main line, railway safety guidelines allow for lower speeds according to the layout. Upgrading the circulation line to the mainline standard will allow the railway to speed up the average train speed at these stations.
It is targeted that the loop line will be upgraded to the main line standard by September. Officials said the remaining stations under the department will be conducted in the second phase and that work to upgrade the loop line is expected to be completed by the prescribed target date. Likewise, a specialized track machine called the AMECA T-28 has been deployed in the department to replace the switch with a new thick network switch.
About 70 thick network switches have been plugged into the track and 100 are planned to be installed in the next few months. In addition, work has been developed regarding the introduction of automatic block signaling and renewal of the 60 kg type. The department has upgraded the maximum allowable speed of trains in various sections by relaxing the curve. In the current situation, this exercise is limited to curves that can be mitigated without the need to acquire land.
Railway authorities say upgrading maintenance standard loop lines to the mainline loop lines and replacing existing switches with TWS, plus mitigation curves will help more trains reach maximum allowable speeds, thereby improving safety and punctuality. Currently, in the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru extension, the train has been running at a maximum speed of 100-110 km/h, except for the Ernakulam-Shoranur extension, the maximum speed of the train is now limited to 80 km/h.
In addition, the adoption of newer technologies in some places along with improved maintenance standards will enable railways to adopt the maximum speed of trains allowed.
publishing – May 3, 2025, 10:52 am
