Chennai:
Tamil Nadu is identifying land to create separate rail tracks for suburban services in Chennai and its adjoining districts if the new draft policy guidelines of Indian Railways gets the nod.
Transport department secretary Chandrakant Kamble told Express that land is being identified but since it is a policy matter he refused to comment on it.
Indian Railways has urged that state government should take up independent rail-based suburban projects under Metro acts in line with National Urban transport Policy. It feels that running suburban services on existing tracks adversely affects the capacity of freight trains and long distance trains as such exclusive tracks for suburban services have to be considered.
This comes after Indian railways sought comments from the state on the new draft policy mailed on December 6. Since the state failed to provide a concrete reply, Indian Railways has extended the deadline and has asked the state to give suggestions before January 24, 2017.
Railways said that since it is feeling the pressure on the rail network due to long distance and freight trains, the idea is to create integrated suburban systems by launching new investment framework in participation with the state governments and to ensure cost neutrality on operations.
Indian Railways has mooted the idea of special purpose vehicle with equal equity participation from state government and Indian Railways.
The hitch is that the state government has to bear complete cost of land acquisition, leasing of railway land and resettlement and rehabilitation by either providing interest free subordinate debt to the Special Purpose Vehicle or from its sources.
It is this provision that is proving to be a sticking point between the two parties.
“The state government is not inclined to give the land free of cost. We are in touch with them and remain hopeful the issue will be sorted out soon,” said Vashista Johri, General Manager, Southern Railways
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