The South Western Railway (SWR) expects that around Rs 576 crore will be sanctioned for the division in the railway budget to be presented on February 26. Most of the amount will be used for creating better infrastructure.

In an interview to Deccan Herald, SWR General Manager Praveen Kumar said Rs 480 crore was allocated for the division during 2007-2008 and it expected a 20 per cent increase this time.

“Of course, what we got last year was a major increase from the Rs 320 crore allocated in the financial year 2006-2007,” he said.

Freight traffic up

The thrust of the division’s expenditure will be on infrastructure works, particularly goods transportation.The SWR zone, comprising Mysore, Hubli and Bangalore divisions, has recorded a 12 per cent jump in freight traffic this year. 

“The most important work for us will be the doubling of the Hospet-Kasargod line as this will play a major role in the economic development of Karnataka,” Kumar said. It is through this line that iron ore from the State is being transported to Goa and coal and fertilizers from Goa reach Karnataka, he said. The route is totally saturated now with over 12 rigs of goods running daily.

The project that will take another six years to be completed will require Rs 1,000 crore totally, which will be sanctioned in portions in consecutive budgets. The other major work SWR has planned is the construction of a rail line in the Kolar-Chikkaballapur route. This requires between around Rs 500 crore, the GM said. Work on broadgauge conversion of the Shimoga-Talaguppa line which could not be taken up due to shortage of sleepers would also be completed, he added.

Other major projects that would receive attention would be the doubling of Yeshwantpur-Tumkur and Bangarpet-Ramanagaram lines. Gauge conversion work between Mysore and Chamarajnagar as well as Bagalkot and Gadag will also figure among the priorities. Work on the new Tumkur-Chitradurga line would be taken up on war footing, the GM said.