Rail budget: Railway proposes JV with TN govt to strengthen suburban network in Chennai

CHENNAI: Chennai’s

suburban

network is set to get a boost as railway minister Suresh Prabhu has proposed a joint venture with the Tamil Nadu government to develop stations and train services.

A new financial mechanism would be developed to fund the project of developing suburban stations and services in Chennai, the minister said while presenting the railway budget 2016-17 in the Parliament on Thursday.

The railway budget also proposes to set up of a rail-auto hub in Chennai to boost transport of vehicles.

The

railways

will upgrade passenger amenities for pilgrims at Nagapattinam and Velankanni.

Chennai-Delhi dedicated freight corridor would be accorded top priority in the next financial year as contracts had been awarded and progress of work would be tracked using GPS, he added.