SBI ATMs to be set up at villupuram railway stations .

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) will be installed at Villupuram railway stations as per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the State Bank of India (SBI), according to R C Jat, divisional railway manager (DRM), Trichy.

They would be located in such a way that both general public as well as railway passengers could access to the ATMS round-the-clock. Apart from SBI ATM, Canara Bank will also install its ATM at Tiruchirapalli junction, said Jat.

Jat said the railways is also planning to set up budget hotels at Puducherry, Thanjavur and Trichy Fort railway stations for the benefit of passengers. To be run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the proposed hotels would provide 24-hour services by selling eatables inside railway stations.

The Trichy railway division had drawn up a blueprint for undertaking major improvements in passenger amenities at Trichy, Villupuram, Srirangam, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Vridhachalam, Myladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Ariyalur railway stations at a cost of Rs 21 crore.

The project includes beautification of the railway stations, improvisation in landscaping, provision of retiring rooms, upgradation of lighting system, etc.

For Trichy junction alone, Rs 6.05 crore has been allotted for beautification and provision of various facilities such as air conditioned dormitory-cum passenger lounge, multiple closed TV circuits, LED display indicating coach formation and touch-screen for the waiting passengers.

He said the electrification of the 178-km railway track between Villupuram and Tiruchirapalli junction has already been taken up.

The Rs 96.66-crore project has been awarded to CORE (Central Organisation for Railway Electrification, Allahabad) and the segment between Villupuram and Vridhachalam would be energised by March 2007.

Among the important gauge conversion project-taking place in the division, Vridhachalam-Athur-Salem section will be completed by March 2007. The Rs 105 crore project for the 83 kms stretch is handled by RVNL (Railway Vidyut Nigam Limited) and the work was in progress as per schedule.

Jat said that the overall performance of the division was very encouraging. The division has netted Rs 60.7 crore as passenger earnings in the first seven months of the year (April-October, 2006) as against Rs 55 crore during the corresponding period last year, thereby recording a growth rate of 19 percent.

The freight earnings touched Rs 69.79 crore in the first seven months as against Rs 45.8 crore for the same period last year. The division is hopeful of achieving the target of Rs 273 crore overall earnings in the current fiscal.