In the wake of the Southern Railway announcing operation of an unreserved special train shortly between Coimbatore and Pollachi by integrating the Nagercoil-Coimbatore superfast express, Mannargudi-Coimbatore express trains and the Coimbatore-Pollachi express, members of Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) have raised a demand for utilising the existing Coimbatore- Pollachi- Coimbatore rakes for operating a day-time express train to Madurai and beyond from Mettupalayam.
The Railway authorities must consider the operation of day time express from Mettupalayam to Madurai or beyond (to either Rameswaram or Tenkasi or Bodinayakanur) via Palani using the idle rake of train no. 06419/ 06420 Coimbatore - Pollachi - Coimbatore express special.
A morning train from Coimbatore will be patronised by a lot of devotees visiting Palani Murugan Temple, Coimbatore-based ZRUCC members Balasubramanian, and Jayaraj said. Two other ZRUCC members Shanmugasundaram of Udumalpet and Pandiarasan of Tenkasi have also emphasised on operation of the day-time express train.
During the metre gauge era, train no. 149/150 used to be operated between Coimbatore and Tuticorin in the morning hours from Coimbatore through Palani, and was well patronised, Mr. Jayaraj said, adding that during 2018,, the then Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Division had assured operation of a day-time express train service between Mettupalayam and Madurai.
The spare rakes of train no. 06419/ 06420 Coimbatore - Pollachi - Coimbatore express special are sufficient for having a composition of 15 second class sleeper reservation coaches, two unreserved coaches and two air-conditioned chair cars, J. Sathish, Director, Kongu Global Forum, and former member of Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee said.
For the new unreserved special train to be operated in due course between Coimbatore and Pollachi, the Railway Board has issued a communication to the Southern Railway specifying the timings in the morning and night hours.
N. Subramanian, general secretary, Podanur Train Users’ Association, said passengers bound for Tiruchendur would be immensely benefitted by the new service, which, he pointed out, would serve as a connecting train to the Palakkad-Tiruchendur Express, at Pollachi.
The Pollachi Train Passengers’ Association has heaved a sigh of relief over the impending new service, citing the possibility created for passengers from Pollachi and Kinathukadavu to derive the utility of the morning and night time trains between Coimbatore and Chennai, Bengaluru and other destinations.
