Residents in Mettupalayam, Karamadai and surroundings have expressed disappointment over perceived neglect of the travelling public by the Railways, citing absence of any assurance for doubling of long awaited Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam track.
At the start of this year, representatives of several organisations including Mettupalayam Consumer Protection Organisation, Namma Mettupalayam Social Welfare Organisation, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary and Lions clubs, called on Union Minister L. Murugan and emphasised on the track-doubling in the interests of Ooty-bound tourists from across the country, the student community and the working population.
“The Railways ought to realise the importance for doubling of the over 150-year-old Coimbatore - Mettupalayam section that has been in existence since the pre-British era,” M. Jayakumar, Co-ordinator, Namma Mettupalayam Social Welfare Organisation, said. To begin with, the Railways could convert Periyanaickenpalayam into a crossing station so as to increase frequency of train trips in the section, Mr. Jayakumar emphasised.
Doubling of the Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam track has been long overdue. The Railways must also seriously consider laying a new line from Tiruppur to Mettupalayam so that circumlocution through Coimbatore could be avoided, N. Subramanian, general secretary of Podanur Train Users’ Association, said.
Reiterating the need for doubling of Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam track, J. Sathish, Director of Kongu Global Forum, also called for shifting of the goods facility from Coimbatore North and construction of a new cargo terminal in the vacant land available at Nallampalayam in the northern side of Coimbatore city.
Mr. Sathish also emphasised on restoration of a 1.2 km link line in between Coimbatore-Podanur and Irugur-Podanur sections for enabling unidirectional movement of trains from Coimbatore Junction.
The total budgetary outlay for Southern Railway for 2024-25 is ₹ 12,173 crore, of which ₹6,331 crore is to be spent in rail development projects in Tamil Nadu. For doubling of track, ₹2,214.40 crore has been earmarked, and the sum allotted for new lines was ₹ 976.12 crore.
The rest of the funding has been apportioned for several other tasks including track renewal, customer amenities, gauge conversion and traffic facilities. Notably, no doubling work has been announced for Western Tamil Nadu. Most of the doubling work are to be carried out in Kerala.
As for new lines, the Erode-Palani (91.05 km, ₹100 crore), and the Morappur-Dharmapuri (36 km, ₹ 115 crore) projects are in the Western region of Tamil Nadu.
