Railways

PREAMBLE

• Resurrecting the River linking program - task force under Sri Suresh Prabhu in 2002 has initiated/Resurrecting the idea of River linking.

• Diversification of Indian Agriculture and rising energy costs will make pump irrigation increasingly unattractive.

• Rapid growth in urban agglomerations will seriously strain their groundwater dependent supply systems.

• Simultaneous droughts and floods would be substantially addressed, and inland water transport fostered.

Despite producing the revenue stream, Coimbatore has been consistently neglected by Indian Railways and the Salem Railway Division to facilitate Coimbatore growth; the following infrastructural bottlenecks on Railway Requirements are to be addressed on a priority basis.

• • A third electrified track between Coimbatore and Erode and a new line between Tiruppur and Karur may be laid. This will reduce the constraints faced in improving rail services from Coimbatore.

  • The new gauge converted line to be laid from Podanur to Dindigul and should be electrified along with the Coimbatore -Mettupalayam line which has been sanctioned, but not taken up.

  • Podanur, Singanallur, and Peelamedu Stations may be expanded and provided additional facilities to make them serve the surrounding areas.

  • Coimbatore –Thoothukudi railway line should be electrified to improve the connectivity to Thoothukudi Port

  • Coimbatore should have overnight daily connecting trains to all district headquarters in Tamil Nadu and to Bengaluru.

  • The Duronto train to Chennai may be converted into overnight train.

  • Frequent Memu (electric) trains between Pollachi-Coimbatore-Mettupalayam and Palghat- Coimbatore-Tirupur-Erode

  • Coimbatore- Mettupalayam passenger to run on Sundays

  • Stations at Thudiyalur, Urumandampalayam (corporation limit), Veerapandi, and Pudupalayam are to be reopened.

  Needs in Coimbatore Junction

  • Widening of second front entrance to Railway Station by acquiring land near collector office

  • Multi -level car parking at railway station

  • New Pit Line facility at Coimbatore. Pit lines are essential to service the trains starting from Coimbatore. If new pit lines are planned immediately, new trains from Coimbatore would become impossible in the future.

  • CPay and use toilets, Purified drinking water in all platforms.

  • Battery Cars for elders and differently abled person

  Needs in Peelamedu Railway Station

  • Peelamedu Platform capacity to be extended from 18 Coaches to 24 Coaches

  • Adarsh Station facility to be implemented in Peelamedu Station with adequate platform roofing, toilets and purified drinking water.

  Needs in Mettupalayam Railway Station

  • Platform and roofing to be extended to accommodate from 12 coaches to 24 coaches.

  • 42 acres of railway land available with adequate water facility to construct New Pit Line.

  Needs in Singanallur/Irugur Railway Stations

  • Toilet, Lights and platform roofing to be constructed in Singanallur and Irugur Stations.

  • Foot over bridge to be completed in Singanallur /Irugur stations.