Restore trains to Tuticorin, Kollam from city: Commuters

Coimbatore: Train commuters from Coimbatore and Pollachi regions have urged the railway authorities to reinstate night express trains between Coimbatore and Tuticorin as well as Coimbatore and Kollam. They wanted the trains to pass through Pollachi as absence of them made commuters from Pollachi and Udumalpet to come to Coimbatore to take a train to southern districts.

“We earlier used to have trains from Coimbatore to Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Nagercoil via Pollachi. Due to gauge conversion, these trains were diverted through Tirupur, Erode and Karur. However, more than 18 months after the gauge conversion was completed, we still don’t have night trains to these locations,” said B Mohanraj, secretary of the Pollachi Train Passengers Welfare Association.

P R Natarajan, Coimbatore MP, and Pollachi MP Shanmugha Sundaram have also written to Southern Railway urging it to resume the trains

Natarajan said this was the shortest route for pilgrims coming to Palani from southern parts of the state, and for businessmen from Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Pollachi to travel to the southern districts. “Due to the absence of these trains people are compelled to take road transport, which is physically inconvenient and expensive,” said the MP.

The MP also asked for an additional train between Madurai and Coimbatore, stopping at Palani, in due time because the existing two trains are crowded. “Number of railway users in present trains is increasing daily. An additional Madurai to Coimbatore train with a stop at Palani will lead to more revenue and be a good option for pilgrims,” he said. The MP called for making the Coimbatore to Pollachi passenger train ‘permanent’, instead of the temporary status being given to it and changing timings of the train further to make it more comfortable for Pollachi passengers.