The Salem Railway Division has proposed to install versatile ticket vending machines in five major railway stations shortly.
The commuters can drop cash, both currency and coins, and collect the tickets in the versatile machines.
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The versatile machines will be installed at Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Tirupur and Karur railway stations.
The machines have already arrived in Chennai and will be installed at these railway stations shortly, according to K. P. Damodaran, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager.
The commuters have to just drop the currency and coins and collect the tickets to their respective destinations.
The railway officials believe that the introduction of versatile machines will totally eliminate the queues in front of the counters.
The Salem Junction will get further facelift soon with the creation of additional facilities in the circulating area in the main entrance.
Divisional Railway Manager Shubhranshu told The Hindu here on Friday that the area allotted for the city buses for picking up the passengers inside the junction premises will be restricted.
Hereafter, the city buses will not be allowed to halt here for a long time.
The junction is only a pick-up point and as such they will be directed to proceed as soon as picking the people.
A new entrance will be created by dividing the present car parking area. Cars will be allowed to park on both sides and eye catching land-scaping with water fountain and high mast lamp pole will be set up in the middle.
The work on this project will will be completed within a couple of months, Mr. Shubhranshu said.
Proposal
The DRM said that the division has submitted a proposal to the Southern Railway for the operation of all Kerala-bound trains from Coimbatore North Railway Station and all the Chennai-bound trains from Podanur station. These trains are at present are operated from Coimbatore Junction.
The Kerala-bound and Chennai bound trains will, however, touch Coimbatore Junction.
This will reduce the congestion at Coimbatore Junction. Besides, the platform occupancy by the trains, particularly the passenger trains, will also come down, he added.
Mr. Shubhranshu, accompanied by M. Vignavelu, Senior Divisional Engineer, Sri Rangarajan, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, Mr. Damodaran, Narasimhan, Chief Medical Superintendent, inspected the Railway Junction on Friday.
