COIMBATORE: Associations and railway enthusiasts have proposed making Podanur railway station the second terminus after Coimbatore station like Egmore in Chennai.
Although the State and Union government have been constructing flyovers, allotting funds as part of decongesting traffic inside the city limits is yet to be achieved. Motorists continue to suffer commuting around Coimbatore railway station.
N Subramanian General Secretary Podanur Train Users Association said, "We have been repeatedly filed petitioning the Southern Railway officials and Salem Division Railway Managers (DRMs) for 10 years that the five platforms in the 160-year-old Podanur station are not utilised well. Many trains, old and new including the recent Mettupalayam to Tirunelveli summer special skip this junction, forcing the passengers in Podnaur, Kurichi, Kovaipudur and Kuniyamuthur in distress to get to Coimbatore station. We have decided to go on an eight-hour hartal in Podanur if our demands are not addressed."
Pollachi Train Passengers Welfare Association Joint Secretary T Krishna Balaji said, "Whenever we request for new trains from Coimbatore, the railway officials say Coimbatore station does not have sufficient infrastructure. So, this is a good time to develop Podanur station then. Many trains starting from Coimbatore going towards Erode can be operated from Podanur Junction if it is added as Coimbatore City's second terminal which will also help add trains here (especially to South Tamil Nadu via Pollachi).
DRUCC member P Rajendran "Over 70 trains from Coimbatore railway station pass the station. If more trains stop here, more passengers will prefer train transport, especially during peak hours when road traffic moves at a snail's pace outside the station."
DRUCC said despite being the third oldest railway station, after Royapuram (Chennai) and Tiruchy in the Madras Railway region, it neither has the infrastructure nor enough train services.
J Sathish Member Infrastructure Committee of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, said, "If more trains are diverted to Podanur junction, they might skip Coimbatore station. We got stoppages of seven trains of the 13 trains from Coimbatore railway station after much struggle. Instead of diverting, the authorities can set up pit lines, stabling line and loco maintenance, and halt important trains surrounding Podanur.
Salem Divisional Railway Manager said that he will look into the possibilities of enforcing this by studying the associations' demands.