The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants the Chennai-Madurai-Nagercoil-Thiruvananthapuram corridor to be included in the list of six corridors already announced by the Railways for conducting pre-feasibility study for operation of high-speed bullet train.
Highest traffic revenue
In a pre-Budget memorandum submitted to the Union Ministers of State for Railways, Mr K.H. Muniappa and Mr Bharat Singh Solanki, and the Chairman of the Railway Board, Mr Vinay Mittal, at New Delhi recently, the chamber said the corridor generates highest passenger traffic revenue for the Southern Railway and a pre-feasibility study would reveal its technical feasibility and economic viability fro bullet trains.
It will also help boost tourism and catalyse industrial upgrade in the area.
The memorandum, while seeking further allocation of funds for ongoing railway projects to facilitate their early completion, pleaded for a direct train between Madurai and Bangalore; immediate introduction of the already announced Duranto Express between Madurai and Chennai, a push-and-pull train connecting Virudhunagar, Madurai and Dindigul.
It also sought the extension of the train to Madurai now joining Jodhpur, Ahmedabad and Chennai; and diversion of Kanyakumari-Mumbai Express through Madurai, Erode and Goa to extend the benefits of Konkan railway project.
Upgradation
It also urged for upgrade of Koodal Nagar railway station, on the outskirts of north Madurai.