Railway ministry sanctions final location survey for Palakkad-Podanur line doubling via Pollachi
PALAKKAD: In a major step towards strengthening rail connectivity between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the ministry of railways India has sanctioned the Final Location Survey (FLS) for the proposed doubling of the railway line between Palakkad and Podanur via Pollachi.
A letter in this regard was sent to Minister of state George Kurian by Union minister for railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, following earlier discussions on the long-pending railway infrastructure project.
Senior railway officials said the survey marks the first formal step towards developing an alternative rail corridor linking Palakkad and Coimbatore, which is expected to ease operational constraints on the existing route.
"The proposed alignment will serve as an additional route parallel to the existing Palakkad-Coimbatore line, which currently passes through ghat sections and forest areas and involves wildlife crossings and rising gradients. These factors impose speed restrictions and operational challenges. The new alignment through Pollachi will largely avoid all these limitations," said a senior railway officer.
Although the proposed route will be around 40 kilometres longer than the existing line, officials said the terrain would allow trains to run at higher speeds without the restrictions faced on the current ghat section.
Another senior railway official said the project would also enhance the operational significance of Palakkad own railway station.
"With the new alignment, Palakkad town station is likely to gain more importance in the network. The additional corridor will also improve operational flexibility for both passenger and freight services between Kerala and western Tamil Nadu," the official said.
"The FLS will pave the way for detailed technical assessment and alignment planning for the project. The survey has now been sanctioned and the detailed field work will begin shortly. The survey is expected to take around five to six months," the officer added.
Once the survey is completed, the project will move to the stage of administrative approval and work sanction, which may take another six months. "If approvals move forward as expected, construction could be completed in around two years after sanction," the official added. Preliminary estimates suggest that the project could involve an investment of around Rs 500 crore.
Once implemented, the new corridor is expected to reduce congestion on the existing Palakkad-Coimbatore route and significantly improve rail connectivity between Kerala and the industrial and agricultural regions of Coimbatore and Pollachi, making it a major infrastructure development for the region.