CCEA approves revised cost for connectivity corridor to Noida Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off two Amrit Bharat trains, two express trains and one passenger train from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, along with another passenger train from Ernakulam in Kerala on Wednesday, the Railway Ministry said on Tuesday. The inaugural run of these trains is scheduled from their respective originating stations — Nagercoil, Podanur, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad Junction in Kerala.

“The new train services will collectively benefit millions of passengers across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Jharkhand. The occasion will also see the inauguration of three redeveloped Amrit stations in Kerala and the dedication of the Shoranur-Nilambur railway line electrification project to the nation,” a press statement from the Ministry said.

The Southern Railway zone said the inaugural run of the Palakkad-Pollachi train service, flagged off by Modi, will start at 1.15 pm from Palakkad, strengthening rail connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The other trains -- two Amrit Bharat, two Express and one passenger train -- will tentatively depart for their inaugural run at 5.30 pm from their respective stations. The Railway Ministry has yet to notify dates for the regular run of these trains.

The Ministry said the Podanur-Dhanbad Amrit Bharat Express -- a weekly, non-air-conditioned and affordably-priced train -- will depart from Podanur Junction every Saturday morning and arrive at Dhanbad by Monday early morning during its regular run. The return service will run every Monday from Dhanbad. Officials said that travelling through Salem, Renigunta, Vijayawada, Jharsuguda and Ranchi, it will touch every major node of the corridor that connects South India’s industrial spine to the East’s energy belt.

Regarding the second Amrit Bharat Express, the Ministry said the Nagercoil-Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express is this region’s first direct Amrit Bharat link to Telangana, passing through over 20 districts across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “It is a train that will carry students from Kanyakumari to colleges in Hyderabad, workers from the Kerala-Tamil Nadu coast to the job markets of the Deccan and families separated by the geography of opportunity back to each other.