Urging to add railway sections in Palakkad division to Madurai and Salem divisions.
Coimbatore: It has been demanded that the Tamil Nadu railway areas in the Palakkad division should be connected to the Salem or Madurai divisions. Jayaraj, a member of the Salem Divisional Railway Passengers' Association, commented on the demand for connecting the Tamil Nadu railway areas in the Palakkad division to the Salem or Madurai divisions.
'As coronavirus cases have reduced the unreserved express trains are gradually being re-operated with several precautionary measures on behalf of the Southern Railway. Passenger trains will run from Vellore to Chennai from August 2 and from Thiruvarur to Karaikudi on August 4. Similarly, unreserved express trains will run from Madurai to Mettupalayam via Palani and Coimbatore. Thus, commuters who travel daily for business and work purposes will benefit the most. It is also useful for travelers to travel to their hometowns and those traveling to spiritual places such as Palani. Madurai-Palani, Palani-Coimbatore, Coimbatore-Mettupalayam passenger trains will make it convenient for passengers. Recently the Coimbatore-Chennai train will run between Mettupalayam and Madurai with old compartments.'
He added, 'Rail traffic on the Coimbatore-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul route was suspended in 2009 for conversion to a broad gauge line. It is to be noted that not a single express train has operated. This railway line is divided into three sections namely Madurai and Palakkad-Salem. The trains could not run due to lack of cooperation from Palakkad division. The only solution is to connect the Tamil Nadu railway areas in the Palakkad division to the Madurai or Salem divisions.'