Trains on Chennai to Bengaluru route to run faster from next month – Times of India

CHENNAI: Trains on Chennai to Bengaluru route and on Tirupati or Mumbai route will start running faster from next month as maximum permisible speed will be increased to 130kmph on Chennai-Jolarpet stretch. Trains, including Vande Bharat services will be able to run at a better average speed which is expected to cut the travel time considerable.
Vande Bharat trains reach Bengaluru in 4.25hours and Shatabdi express take reaches Bengaluru in 4.45hours. This is likely to be cut by half an hour. The travel time can be further reduced when tracks are ready on Jolarpet-Bengaluru section that comes under South Western Railway.

Commissioner of Railway Safety is set to approve 130kmph as maximum permissible speed on Chennai-Renigunta via Arakkonam and Arakkonam-Jolarpet(144.54km) stretches. This will make the entire track on Chennai to Jolarpet ready to run trains at average speed of 110km to 120 kmph.
Trains on Chennai to Mumbai route too will be able to run at better speed for 134.78 km till Renigunta. Southern Railway has already submitted the application for getting approval on Chennai-Renigunta route and is expected to submit documents for getting approval for Arakkonam-Jolarpet route in the first week of next month from commissioner of railway safety, said a statement.
The zone has already increased the maximum speed to 130 kmph on Chennai-Gudur section (134.3 Km) on October, the first stretch to be converted for higher speed.
Work is on to enhance speed in Jolarpet-Podanur and Chennai-Dindigul sections to 130 kmph. The zone is also working to increase speed of trains to 110kmph on other major routes.
Recently, speed enhancement work has been completed and sectional speed has been increased to 110 Kmph in Chengalpet-Arakkonam section from 90 kmph, Tambaram-Chengalpet line from 90 kmph, Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur section from 70 kmph in the last two months.
The speed has been increased by upgrading the track, which includes renewal of rail wherever required, strengthening of bridges, straightening of curves, construction of walls at locations where there is trespassing by people, improving signalling system by providing automatic signalling or double distancing signals, improving of overhead cables.
A senior railway official said that the locations where people are crossing and walls will be constructed on these stretches to prevent trespass. This work is not mandatory but is being done in trouble spots, he added.