The Southern Railway has expressed concern at the progress of track maintenance works in Thiruvananthapuram Division despite recruitment of track maintainers through Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC).
In a letter dated November 3, it said that track maintainers must not be deputed to non-core areas of work, viz. as office assistants to ministerial staff. There are also strong allegations that staff are being misused in works cadre and in other units. Such personnel must be withdrawn and deputed for track maintenance. Neither should the services of staff be utilised in residences, it said and added that show-cause notices are being issued to track maintainers who are on unauthorised absence.
Responding to the communication, Railway sources said that a vast number of people were recruited for track-maintenance works, including through rozgar melas. They joined duty after training and were deputed for various works, including straightening of minor curves on tracks in the Thiruvananthapuram Division. This work is expected to be over in a year.
A LiDAR survey is under way to identify major curves that need to be straightened, if need be, through land acquisition. These two works are crucial to increase speed of trains, in adherence with the Railway’s plan to increase speed of trains in Kerala to 130 kmph and later to 160 kmph.
