COIMBATORE: Southern Railway is planning to set up a crossing station at Thudiyalur railway station on the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam section, Southern Railway General Manager U Subba Rao said on Friday.
Addressing the media at Coimbatore Junction during his first visit to the city after assuming charge, Subba Rao said Thudiyalur was a feasible location for the proposed crossing station as sufficient land was available there.
While train enthusiasts and passenger welfare associations have been demanding that the facility be established at Periyanaickenpalayam (PNP) railway station, the railway has decided to set it up at Thudiyalur, the nearest station to PNP.
Speaking about the development works at Podanur railway station, the GM said three additional pit lines were being developed there to facilitate the effective maintenance of trains. Other station development works were also nearing completion, he added.
On the proposed development of Coimbatore North railway station, Subba Rao said three additional platforms, including an island platform, were planned to decongest Coimbatore Junction. The goods shed at Coimbatore Junction would also be shifted to Coimbatore North, he said.
The GM assured that the demand for restoring trains to the southern districts that were operated during the metre-gauge era via Kinathukkadavu and Pollachi from Coimbatore would be looked into.
He also clarified that there was no proposal to transfer Kinathukkadavu railway station from the Palakkad division to the Salem division.
Regarding the doubling of the railway line between Coimbatore North and Mettupalayam, Subba Rao said the proposal had not yet been sanctioned and assured that efforts would be made to process it.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by Vanitha Mohan, vice-chairperson of Kongu Global Forum, met the GM and the Divisional Railway Manager of the Salem division at Coimbatore Junction and sought urgent improvements in railway infrastructure, enhanced passenger amenities and better suburban connectivity across Coimbatore.
The delegation included Dorairaj, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Naushad, chairman of CII; Balasubramanian, president of RAAC; J Sathish, trustee of Siruthuli; and Dileep, representing the Customs Brokers and Shipping Agents Association.
After the meeting, Coimbatore NXT welcomed the positive response from Southern Railway and expressed confidence that coordinated efforts by railway authorities, industry bodies, civic organisations and passenger associations would accelerate the development of railway infrastructure in Coimbatore.
"Southern Railway officials have assured us that they will expand the coach capacity of the Coimbatore-Chennai Vande Bharat Express and prioritise the proposal for a new Vande Bharat service between Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram. They will also examine the possibility of rerouting trains that currently bypass Coimbatore Junction," said J Sathish, convenor of Coimbatore NXT.