COIMBATORE: The Mettupalayam and Karamadai stations in Coimbatore district are set to get a facelift as the Southern Railway has allotted Rs 24 crore to improve their facilities. New platforms would be constructed and the length of the existing platforms would be extended.
Mettupalayam station was constructed 150 years ago and is located at the foothill of the Western Ghats from where the UNESCO-recognised Niligiri Mountain Railway (NMR) begins. Along with tourist trains, an express train to Chennai (Nilgiri Express), a passenger train up to Podanur and a weekly train to Tirunelveli have been operated.
Though the station is very old, there is not much development yet. The Railways has been carrying out development works such as improving the elevation design of the station, renovation of the buildings without changing the existing structures along with the passenger amenities like escalators and passenger shelter, etc under the Amrit Bharat scheme at a cost of Rs 14.82 crore and before the Model Code of Conduct came into force, the Railways had allotted Rs 18.38 crore to Mettupalayam station and Rs 9.79 crore for carrying out development works at Karamadai railway station.
According to sources, using the funds, two more platforms which will each accommodate 24 coaches will be constructed and hence the Mettupalayam station will have a total of three platforms since it has already a platform that accommodates 24 coaches.
Likewise, the platform will be extended in Karamadai to accommodate a train with 24 coaches since the existing platform can accommodate only 12 coaches. The Railways is also planning to convert Karamadai railway station into a crossing station.
Former DRUCC member and a resident of Mettupalayam P Rajendran said that if all these facilities are completed as per the plan, there is a high chance that more trains such as Mettupalayam to Tiruchendur and Mettupalayam to Kanniyakumari would be started since Railways has already proposed operating Mettupalayam to Tuticorin train and Mettupalayam to Tirunelveli weekly train.