Three additional platforms planned in Coimbatore North Station to decongest Junction Station: Southern Railway GM

The Railways has plans to decongest Coimbatore Junction station by laying three additional lines in Coimbatore North Station.

Three new platforms, including an island platform, would be established by shifting the Good Shed from Coimbatore North Station to Thudiyalur Station to decongest Coimbatore Junction Station, U. Subba Rao, General Manager of Southern Railway, told mediapersons on Friday.

Accompanied by Panna Lal, Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Division, Mr. Subba Rao who was on his first visit to Coimbatore Junction and Podanur Junction after assuming charge as Southern Railway General Manager on August 1, 2026, said the Thudiyalur Station will also be converted into a Crossing Station, for operating more trains between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam.

Six more trains will be operated from Mettupalayam Railway Station, where two additional platforms are being laid, after completion of yard remodelling works. Trains that terminate at Coimbatore Junction will be extended to Mettupalayam.

So far, funding has not been sanctioned for doubling of the track between Coimbatore North and Mettupalayam railway stations, he said.

The Railways will shortly take a call on whether to go for complete investment upfront or opt for PPP model for redevelopment of Coimbatore Junction, he added.

At the Podanur Railway Station, Mr. Subba Rao inspected the works under way for laying three pit lines. The Station development works were also progressing parallelly.

The demand of passengers for restoration of trains operated to destinations in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu in the metre-gauge era will be considered. The scope for operating a circular train in Coimbatore will also be explored, he said.

The Southern Railway GM said he has requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to sanction land for Kanyakumari-Tiruvananthapuram doubling work, and for laying double line in Kumbakonam before the next Mahamaham festival for handling more crowd.