Palakkad Railway Division Upgrades Turnouts for Safety

13 May 2025 CW Team

The Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division has implemented a series of infrastructure upgrades to enhance train safety and operational efficiency. Over the past one year, the division has replaced one hundred thirty-three ageing fifty-two kilogram turnouts with robust sixty kilogram Thick Web Switches, engineered for high-speed durability and increased strength.

Seventy-seven track layouts were corrected using advanced computer-based geometry solutions, involving precise longitudinal and lateral alignment with the aid of the T-28 Track Relaying Machine. These corrections improve track stability, resulting in smoother and safer travel.

In addition, the division conducted deep screening of one hundred forty-five turnouts by replacing weak, dust-laden ballast stones beneath the tracks. The cleaned sections now maintain a minimum cushion of two hundred fifty millimetres of clean ballast, boosting track elasticity and stability under high-speed and heavy-load conditions, especially during rainfall.

These upgrades not only support passenger comfort but also align with Indian Railways’ commitment to enhanced safety through rigorous track maintenance standards. The initiative underscores a broader vision of delivering faster and more secure rail transport across the country.

Source:The Hindu

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane–Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..