Southern Railway will set up solar power plants at 18 stations in northern Tamil Nadu. Of this 17 will come up in Chennai and its suburbs.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has granted consent for operation of the plants.
The stations include -- Egmore, MGR Central, Tambaram, Chengalpet, Arakkonam, Jolarpet, Singaperumal Koil, Perungalathur, Guduvanchery, Tiruvallur, Tiruttani, Mambalam, Palavanthangal, Guindy, Beach, Velachery, Avadi and Perambur.
Chennai Central has become the first railway station of Southern Railway to meet its energy demand during day time with solar energy.
As many as nine solar plants of five kWp have been provided in office, service and station buildings in Chennai division. It is proposed to provide 130 new ATVMs at stations, while 34 ATVMs have been provided so far.
The elimination of seven manned level crossing gates, increasing of speed on loop line from 15 to 30 km per hour, commissioning of third line on Tambaram-Guduvanchery section, removal of nine permanent speed restrictions, rehabilitation of a bridge, 57 CTRs, commissioning of double distant signals between Arakkonam and Renigunta section are some of the recent works were carried out.
