KOCHI: The state might soon get a double-decker train. The good news, albeit conditional, comes following a Railway decision to extend the Coimbatore-KSR Bangalore Uday Express to Palakkad. As part of the decision, the Palakkad division of the Railways held a trial run of the train on Wednesday. The trial was held with two double-decker rakes.
A Palakkad division spokesperson said that at present nothing as to the regular operation of the train service has been decided. “The decision will be taken by the Railway Board only after studying the feasibility report that will be submitted after the trial run,” he said.
“The trial run was held on Wednesday at a time considered to be the most feasible one for the conduct of the service. The route that has been arrived at for the proposed service is from Coimbatore via Pollachi to Palakkad,” says the spokesperson. The train departed from Coimbatore at 8 am on Wednesday. “A lot of things like the feasibility of the platforms and other infrastructure were taken note of during the trial run,” says the spokesperson.
But what makes the train special? The spokesperson says, “As for the rakes, they are very similar to the Jan Shatabdi Express. However, for Uday Express, the lower portion of the rake has a depressed floor which positions the window of the rake somewhat on a par with the platform.” Explaining more about the coaches the spokesperson says, “The seating arrangement is similar to the Jan Shatabdi express trains.”
The rakes are air-conditioned and have a total height of 4,386 cm from the base to the roof. The decision to conduct a trial run was taken after the mechanical branches of the Salem and Palakkad divisions sent in a proposal regarding the same.
Suggested timings
The feasible timings suggested for the service will see the train start from Coimbatore at 8 am and then Podanur Junction railway station (8.15 am) followed by Kinathukadavu (8.35 am), Pollachi (9 am to 9.25 am), Minatchipuram (9.45 am), Muthalamada (10 am), Kollengode (10.15 am), Pudunagaram (10.30 am), Palakkad Town (10.45 am) and Palakkad Junction (11.05 am).