The Railways will hereafter manufacture only fire-proof
coaches in order to prevent coaches from catching fire, Union
Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said on Saturday.

Talking to newspersons after inaugurating a halt station at
Ichiputtur near Arakkonam, Mr. Velu said that the Rail Coach Factory
in Kapurthala had already started making coaches with fully fire-
proof materials, which included the flooring and upholstery. The
railways have taken precautionary measures such as warning the
passengers against smoking and carrying inflammable materials in
trains. If passengers heeded the warning, accidents such as the one,
which occurred in the Secunderabad-Kakinada Gauthami Express in
Andhra Pradesh on Friday, could be prevented. The cause of fire in
Gauthami Express was still under investigation by the Commissioner
of Rail Safety (CRS). The railways have stepped up security in all
vulnerable railway routes and spots. A bomb squad has been
sanctioned for the Arakkonam railway station, he said. The railways
have placed orders with the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML),
Bangalore for the manufacture of stainless and aluminium coaches.
The railways have already commenced work on the establishment of a
mineral water plant in Palur in Kancheepuram district to produce
mineral water for supply to passengers.

Freight corridor

Mr. Velu said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had been formed
for providing a dedicated freight corridor from Delhi to Mumbai and
from Ludhiana to Kolkata at a cost of Rs.20, 000 crores, and the SPV
would go ahead and make the necessary funding arrangements. In reply
to a question, he said that the operation of trains on the completed
broad gauge track between Katpadi and Vellore Cantonment is awaiting
the inspection and clearance of the CRS. Automatic Ticket Vending
Machines (ATVMs) have been opened in 37 stations for the benefit of
passengers of suburban trains in the Chennai Division, he said.

Earlier inaugurating the halt station at Ichiputtur, the Minister
said that the Ichiputtur station was originally a crossing station,
but later made a halt station to pick up passengers.

Owing to a poor patronage from passengers and the consequent poor
revenue to the railways, the halt station was closed in 1990. The
Railway Board did not encourage the starting of halt stations since
it cost Rs.5000 per train per day to halt a train in a station in
the case of a diesel train and Rs.4000 per train per day in the case
of an electric train.

Owing to demand from the public, the halt station in Ichiputtur was
being revived. Besides, 201 halt stations have been started in Tamil
Nadu in the last four years, he said.

Referring to the demand for halting all electric trains at
Ichiputtur, he said that the platform has to be raised, and it would
cost Rs.40 lakh. The Railway Board has sanctioned laying of a fourth
line between Arakkonam and Renigunta, he said.

Train schedule

With the inauguration of the halt station, the Tirupathi-Puducherry
Fast Passenger would halt at Ichiputtur at 6.44 a.m., and the
Puducherry-Tirupathi Fast Passenger at 8.20 p.m. The Arakkonam-
Renigunta Passenger would halt at the station at 7.25 a.m., and the
Renigunta-Arakkonam Passenger at 7.40 p.m. The Chennai-Tirupathi
Mainline Electromotive Multiple Unit (MEMU) would halt at 8.40 p.m.,
and the Tirupathi-Chennai MEMU at 7.03 a.m.

S.K. Kulshrestha, Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai said that as a
special concession, the Railway Board has allowed the reopening of the
halt station in Ichiputtur, in fulfilment of the long-pending
demand of the people of this area, consequent to the emergence of
many industries and educational institutions in and around
Ichiputtur.

Arul Anbarasu, Sholinghur MLA wanted an unmanned railway level
crossing in Mangammapettai. M. Jagan Moorthy, Arakkonam MLA, P.
Gunabhooshanam, president, Ichiputtur village panchayat and A.
Mohana, president, Thanigaipolur village panchayat, N. Swaminathan,
Additional DRM, Chennai spoke. Earlier, the Minister inaugurated an
ATVM at the Arakkonam station.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/05/stories/2008080550660300.htm