Mysuru; The ambitious and the much-awaited electrification of Mysuru-Chamarajanagar Railway line under South Western Railway (SWR) has hit a roadblock even as 97 percent of the works have been completed.

It is a Rs. 20 crore plus project and for its completion, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is mandatory as the railway line runs close to the Airport runway at Mandakalli that is being extended now to enable bigger planes to land. The train track runs close to the starting point of the runway.

The project entails a 71-km overhead wiring and 97 percent of the works have been completed except for the 750-metre stretch near the runway. The works are yet to be taken up as the AAI has not given the NOC.

The electrification work was scheduled to be completed by March 2022 and the tenders were awarded to Powerguru Infratech Private Limited, Gurgaon, in February 2021 with a 12-month deadline.

The Mysuru-Chamarajanagar route is quite popular one with thousands of employees, students and daily wage workers taking the trains between the two destinations. The route also connects Nanjangud, regarded as Dakshina Kashi.

The railway line connects industrial areas of Kadakola, Sujathapuram and Badanaguppe. The electrification is crucial for industrial growth of Mysuru as it will complement the Inland Container Yard by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) that is coming up at Kadakola.

The NOC issue came up when the dates were proposed for the inspection of new railway lines, gauge conversion completion, track doubling and railway electrification works.

On their part, the SWR authorities have written to the AAI headquarters in New Delhi and are awaiting a response. Sources at the Mysore Airport said that they have no role in the decision making and it will be decided at AAI headquarters. While giving the NOC, the AAI will consider many aspects including safety as the runway is close to the railway track.

The decision has to be taken at the highest level as it is the question of passenger safety. There are apprehensions that the electromagnetic waves of electric locomotives could interfere with the navigation system on the aircraft, leading to safety issues.

The electrification will benefit movement of cargo with better energy efficiency, zero emissions and lower operating costs. This apart, the electric train is more powerful than its diesel counterpart for cargo movements. But till the NOC comes from the AAI, the SWR will have to run diesel locomotives on this stretch.