Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee has reason to celebrate this Saturday and Sunday. The much-awaited Thiruvananthapuram – Mumbai CST – Thiruvananthapuram Weekly train and the Chennai – Alapuzha – Chennai daily trains are scheduled to be routed via Coimbatore on these two days, respectively.
On September 22, Train No.16332 Thiruvananthapuram – Mumbai CST Express will halt at Coimbatore Junction. This train hitherto skipped Coimbatore and did the Podanur – Irugur – Podanur section with a halt at Podanur. From September 23, the Alapuzha – Chennai – Alapuzha daily Express train have a halt at Coimbatore Junction, providing additional connectivity for Coimbatore with South Kerala and to Chennai, said R. Raveendran of Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee.
On March 11, 2012, the first of the 13 trains which hitherto skipped Coimbatore was routed via the city. The Tirunelveli – Bilaspur Weekly Express was received at Coimbatore Junction, pointed out U.K. Sivagnanam, Member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee.
The Thiruvananthapuram - Mumbai CST Express would enter Coimbatore Junction on Saturday at 13.25 hours and depart at 13.30 hours. It would be an additional train towards Mumbai on Saturdays, apart from the daily Mumbai trains like Coimbatore - Kurla Express in the morning and 16382 Kanyakumari - Mumbai Express in the evening, said Jameel Ahmed, another Member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee.
The Chennai – Alapuzha – Chennai Express would depart Coimbatore Junction at 22.30 hours after Cheran Express leaves for Chennai. Three decades ago, Train 41 / 42 Madras - Cochin Express was run via Coimbatore.
The 16855/56 Puduchery - Mangalore Weekly Express will run via Coimbatore from October 4 to Mangalore and on October 6 to Puducherry, providing the much required connectivity to some of the districts around Puducherry and will mark the first ever rail connectivity to Puducherry, said G.K. Nagaraj, Convenor of the Railway Struggle Committee.
