Mysuru Airport: Track electrification stretch sees deadlock

06 Jun 2024 CW Team

There are 60 km between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, of which 59 km have been electrified. Nevertheless, a less than 1 km section close to the airport has not yet been electrified since the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not granted authorization. Between Ashokapuram and Nanjangud is the non-electrified section. Until this section is fully electrified, the railways will not be able to run trains pulled by electric locomotives.

The DGCA has raised objections on technical grounds and was not given permission for drawing overhead electric cables as the railway track runs very close to the starting point of the runway and the vertical height between the landing flights and the overhead cables tends to be less. There are concerns that this could cause electromagnetic disturbance or interference to the navigational equipment of flights and jeopardise passenger safety.

Shilpi Agarwal, the Divisional Railway Manager of Mysuru Railway Division, stated that discussions were ongoing with the DGCA and Airport Authority of India. She mentioned that the railways had initiated a survey of the area to explore the potential for track realignment. Agarwal noted that the Final Location Survey had already commenced to determine the realignment of the existing track and estimated that the survey might require an additional two months to complete.

In addition to track realignment, the railway authorities were considering the feasibility of constructing a tunnel and going underground on the short stretch, which she described as a significant task. Agarwal indicated that they would assess the feasibility before making a decision, despite ongoing efforts to persuade the DGCA.

If the track needs to be rerouted, sufficient property must be obtained to allow for the diversion, which may raise further land acquisition concerns. Stakeholders had even proposed a thermal barrier to stop electromagnetic disruption from the overhead wires, but the proposal was rejected on technical grounds. The matter has been unresolved for more than two years.

The passengers will not profit from track electrification until the problem is fixed, and the project's costs will remain unnecessary. For this reason, the railway authorities have continued to run passenger trains on the Mysuru-Chamarjanagar line pulled by diesel engines.

Even though the railway authorities have started the Final Location Survey (FLS) for track realignment, the deadlock over track electrification over a little section of around 1 km near the Mysuru Airport has not yet been addressed.There are 60 km between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, of which 59 km have been electrified. Nevertheless, a less than 1 km section close to the airport has not yet been electrified since the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not granted authorization. Between Ashokapuram and Nanjangud is the non-electrified section. Until this section is fully electrified, the railways will not be able to run trains pulled by electric locomotives.The DGCA has raised objections on technical grounds and was not given permission for drawing overhead electric cables as the railway track runs very close to the starting point of the runway and the vertical height between the landing flights and the overhead cables tends to be less. There are concerns that this could cause electromagnetic disturbance or interference to the navigational equipment of flights and jeopardise passenger safety.Shilpi Agarwal, the Divisional Railway Manager of Mysuru Railway Division, stated that discussions were ongoing with the DGCA and Airport Authority of India. She mentioned that the railways had initiated a survey of the area to explore the potential for track realignment. Agarwal noted that the Final Location Survey had already commenced to determine the realignment of the existing track and estimated that the survey might require an additional two months to complete.In addition to track realignment, the railway authorities were considering the feasibility of constructing a tunnel and going underground on the short stretch, which she described as a significant task. Agarwal indicated that they would assess the feasibility before making a decision, despite ongoing efforts to persuade the DGCA.If the track needs to be rerouted, sufficient property must be obtained to allow for the diversion, which may raise further land acquisition concerns. Stakeholders had even proposed a thermal barrier to stop electromagnetic disruption from the overhead wires, but the proposal was rejected on technical grounds. The matter has been unresolved for more than two years.The passengers will not profit from track electrification until the problem is fixed, and the project's costs will remain unnecessary. For this reason, the railway authorities have continued to run passenger trains on the Mysuru-Chamarjanagar line pulled by diesel engines.

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