Sengottai-Punalur electrification: Train speed may increase on this route

Chennai: Southern Railway announced on platform X an update on the Sengottai and Punalur stretch of the rail line. “Upon commissioning of the Electrified section between Sengottai and Punalur, the legendary Train No. 16102 #Kollam - #Chennai Egmore Quilon Mail traverses through the beautiful 13 Arch Bridge on its maiden Electric Run,” the post read. 

With this, an increase in the speed of trains on the route is expected. Earlier, the 110 KV sub-station at Sengottai had been completed, and steps were being taken to operate an electric engine train on the track. The Railways had also informed that the installation of Vistadome coaches will be considered once the electrification is completed, and the train service is switched from conventional coaches to Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches.

As Punalur Railway Station has been included in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, modernisation of stations such as waiting area for upper-class tickets, platform roof, lift, car park roof, and amenities for differently-abled passengers will be provided at the station.

It is also expected that the demand for starting train service to Tirupati via Punalur-Sengottai will be considered as the work progresses.

The Pathimoonnu Kannara Bridge, also known as the "13 Arch Bridge," is a historic British-era structure situated on the Kollam-Sengottai railway line in Kazhuthurutty, Kollam district. This impressive bridge, built in 1904 by the British to facilitate the transport of goods from Kollam to Madras, stands as a testament to one of India's oldest mountain railways. Constructed using the Surki method, which incorporates rocks, limestone, and jaggery, the bridge features thirteen arches supported by granite pillars, each approximately 100 feet tall.