SALEM: The Salem division of Southern railways has announced that train services in the Coimbatore section will be affected from March 25 to 29 due to infrastructure upgradation works at the Coimbatore North Railway Yard.
In a press release, the division said eight MEMU passenger services will be fully cancelled on different days. These include Podanur-Mettupalayam (66612), Mettupalayam-Coimbatore (66613), Coimbatore-Mettupalayam (66614), Mettupalayam-Podanur (66615), Podanur-Mettupalayam (66616), Mettupalayam-Coimbatore (66617), Mettupalayam-Podanur (66619) and Podanur-Mettupalayam (66620), operating on various dates between March 25 and 29.
Three express trains - Coimbatore-Chennai Shatabdi Express (12244), Kovai Express (12676) and Kongu Express (12647) -- will originate from Podanur instead of Coimbatore on select days and will run via Podanur- Irugur.
The Tiruchchirappalli- Palakkad Town Express (16843) will be diverted via Irugur-Podanur on March 25, 26, 27 and 29, and will skip stoppages at Singanallur, Peelamedu, Coimbatore North and Coimbatore Junction.
Two trains -- Chennai-Coimbatore Kovai Express (12675) and Chennai-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express (12243) -- will be short-terminated at Podanur on March 25 and 29, resulting in partial cancellation between Podanur and Coimbatore.
On March 25, four trains -- Ernakulam-Bilaspur (22816), Bilaspur-Tirunelveli (22619), Tirunelveli-Dadar (22630) and Nagercoil - Coimbatore (16321) -- will be diverted, with some short-terminated at Podanur.
On March 26, Jaipur-Coimbatore (12970) will be partially cancelled, while Patna- Ernakulam (22670) will be diverted with a stop at Podanur.
On March 29, several long-distance trains will skip Coimbatore Junction and instead stop at Podanur, with some also partially cancelled.
Railways said many of these trains will not halt at Coimbatore Junction and will be given alternative stoppages at Podanur, while some will be partially cancelled between Podanur and Coimbatore.