#indorenews :Indore: The much awaited Ratlam- Fatehabad broad gauge rail traffic may begin from early next month. Commissioner, Railway Safety ( CRS), will start inspection of the gauge conversion of 84 km route from February 24.
Ratlam- Fatehabad gauge conversion, which started 14 months ago, is almost completed. Western Railway, Ratlam Division, PRO Pradeep Sharma informed that CRS Padam Singh Baghel and his technical team will start a three- day inspection of the converted broad gauge track from February 24. The CRS have a special train equipped with special instruments to check the security aspects of the rail track, signaling system and other works.
Baghel...
more... is expected to issue clearance certificate soon after the completion of the inspection, said the PRO. There after the division will seek the permission from the Railway Board to open the track for train movements. The board will decide the date of opening of the track for the train movements. Most probably the track will be opened for train movements early next month, he added.
For the gauge conversion of the Ratlam- Fatehabad section, the railway took the block of the section for only six months – from January 1 to June 30, 2013. But the conversion work is completed now, making the project delayed by eight months.
Next Fatehabad- Indore gauge conversion
Fatehabad- Ratlam gauge conversion is not going to benefit the rail passengers of the city, until the Fatehabad- Indore MG section is converted. The railway may start Fatehabad- Indore gauge conversion after March 5 and train movements on this section will be blocked during the work. Gauge conversion of this section will be a boon for passengers of this route.
Trains coming from Khandwa side will be terminated at Indore station during the gauge conversion. Ratlam- Fatehabad DMU After the gauge conversion the passengers of the Ratlam- Fatehabad section will be able to travel to and fro on this section through DMU train. Railway minister Mallikarjun Khadge had announced a DMU train on this section in the recent rail budget