Mysuru-Chamarajanagar track electrification hits hurdle of NoC from AAI

Though 97% of the overhead wiring along the 61-km stretch between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar has been completed, work on a 750-metre stretch near the Mysuru airport runway is yet to be taken up pending an NoC from the AAI

Track electrification work between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar has got stuck as the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is yet to issue an NoC to the railways for drawing overhead cables near Mandakalli where the track runs close to the starting point of the runway of Mysuru airport.

Though 97% of the overhead wiring along the 61-km stretch between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar has been completed, work on a 750-metre stretch near the airport runway is yet to be taken up pending an NoC from the AAI, according to sources. This is in addition to about 2 km of wiring that is yet to be completed for technical reasons.

The issue came up when dates were proposed for the statutory inspection of new railway lines, gauge conversion completion, track doubling and railway electrification work completed by the end of March 2022.

Railway authorities claimed that inability to get an NoC from AAI has impeded track electrification work between Mysuru and Chamarajanagar. Hence, the section may not be ready for inspection on the proposed date.

They suggested that instead the 6-km Mysuru-Ashokapuram section could be taken up for inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).

Sources in the AAI admitted that an NoC is yet to be issued, and a decision has to be taken at the highest level as the electromagnetic waves of electric locomotives can interfere with the navigation system on aircraft and compromise their safety.  

Until the stretch is electrified, railways have to rely on diesel locomotives on the Mysuru-Chamarajanagar section. In terms of railway operations, extending the run of long-distance trains powered by electric locomotives till Chamarajanagar will help keep the platforms in Mysuru free to receive additional trains.