Here are some pics I got today on the Tumakuru - Arsikere doubling work.
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1. This year's target on the JRU-UBL section can't be met because of no rails available due to track renewal work undertaken by IR, has already been said. So some hope on TK-ASK section whose target is Kardi-Arsikere section.
2....
more... After TK, land levelling is done at most places. There are sleepers too placed on the side along with ballast. Since no doubling will be done, old used rails are placed across the breadth to stop vehicles from trespassing.
3. There are no major bridges, few bridges are being built adjacent to lakes.
4. Most stations PFs are being re-built and new ones are being built too. Tiptur's PFs are being raised and widened, and new one under construction with a new FoB.
5. RDI to TTR some track laying is completed. From TTR to ASK most of the section track laying is complete. Final ballast packing, signalling and track linking is left. But all this will happen only by March, as usual in time for yearly completion target.
6. TK-ASK is the real bottleneck on the SBC-UBL line. The major hurdle for doubling is land acquisition, but here that is done, levelling too is done. If adequate funds had been given they could have targetted the entire TK-ASK stretch this year. But no funds. And no rails for the JRU-UBL section to even meet this year's target JRU-THN.
7. So by Mar-2018, for almost 4 years, only this 36 Kms stretch doubling would be the achievement on SBC-UBL project.