Smaller railway stations in Coimbatore as well as neighbouring districts within Salem division of Southern railway would soon get an infrastructural facelift. The railways plans to develop 13 stations in smaller towns across Salem division. While Sulur Road Railway Station and Karamadai fall under Coimbatore district, the project includes small stations in Karur, Tirupur and Salem districts like Pugalur, Sithalavai, Virakkiyam and Chinna Salem. While stations with low platforms will see a new raised platform, stations with small platforms will get extended ones. Railway sources say extended platforms could mean more and better rail connectivity to smaller towns in the future.Last week, Salem divisional railway manager U Subba Rao announced that the railways will be constructing high level platforms at 13 stations at a cost of Rs 25 crore and will be taking up platform extension works at these stations at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The Rs 50 crore...
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project is aimed at making even the small feeder stations in the division, which hardly see one or two trains stopping, raised up to the railways’ prescribed safety standards. “We will increase the platform height to enable passengers easily step into the trains, like in Coimbatore and Mettupalayam stations. The extended platforms will accommodate 24 coaches of an express train,” he said.In Coimbatore region, besides Karamadai, Sulur Road Railway Station and Vanjipalayam Station in Tirupur have been included. “We have begun work to raise the platform level to a height of 2.7ft above ground level at Sulur Road Station,” a railways spokesperson said. “The work will be completed in around three months,” he said. “Once this is completed, we will start work at Karamadai,” he added. Work order on the Vanjipalayam Station is yet to be finalized, a railway official said. While Pugalur, Kulitalai, Sithalavai and Pettaivayatalai have been included in Karur district for the project, Chinna Salem, Attur and Mugudanchavadi have been included in Salem district. “These are small stations which hardly see one to 10 trains passing through and stopping. Even if there are five to 10 trains, they are passenger trains belonging to one or two routes. We plan to develop these stations so in the future we can introduce express trains or more super-fast passenger trains,” an official said. “These are part of plans to strengthen and build on our suburban rail networks in the future. These are not towns that will get metros,” he said.Railway activists and politicians welcomed this move stating that this would eventually reduce traffic on the roads. “I would say it is more critical to develop stations in small villages and towns like the above rather than bigger cities, who have more connectivity options. This would bring more people to trains rather than buses,” Coimbatore MP and long-term member of the divisional railway users committee P R Natarajan said.

Electrification works on the broad gauge section nearing completion
With electrification works on the Tiruchi–Erode broad gauge section via Karur reaching the final stages, diesal engines may soon have to give way to electric locomotives.
The Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) under the Ministry of Railways, which is executing the overhead electrification works on the 140-km stretch, has targeted to complete the entire works and commissioning by January-end.
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electrification project, which gained momentum in the beginning of this month, is poised for completion in a year’s time — the fastest with respect to completion of OHE works in Southern Railway zone, CORE officials say.
Ahead of commissioning, CORE has planned to carry out trial runs on the newly electrified stretch with an electric locomotive before inviting the Commissioner of Railway Safety to carry out the mandatory inspection.
As part of the electrification project, which has been executed at a cost of nearly Rs. 130 crore, CORE has installed 210 portals and some 3,500 masts along the whole stretch.
Three sub-stations have also been established at Velliyanai, Pugalur and Pettavaithalai as part of the project that kick-started in November 2016. The sub-stations works are in the final stage of completion.
Although the target for completion is set for March, CORE expedited the project and advanced it for completion and commissioning before January. “The electrification project is in the final stage, and permission for charging the line has been given. The entire works are targeted to be completed and commissioned by January last week”, said a senior CORE official.
Upon carrying out trial runs using a light electric locomotive, CORE has planned to invite the Commissioner of Railway Safety to carry out the statutory inspection along the entire stretch from Tiruchi to Erode, the official added.
Once the sanction from the Commissioner of Railway Safety comes through, electric locomotives will be introduced. At present, all passenger and freight trains operated on this section are being hauled by diesel locomotives.
The Tiruchi–Erode section via Karur will become another electrified stretch after the Chennai–Tiruchi–Madurai segment. Electrification will enable faster acceleration of trains and pave the way for operation of Mainline Electric Multiple Unit trains instead of diesel ones. Electrification works are also simultaneously underway in the Tiruchi–Thanjavur–Tiruvarur–Karaikal and Karur–Salem–Dindigul sections by CORE.

Erode – Trichy Fort Section
Due to construction works for a Limited Use Subway (LUS) between Moorthipalayam and Karur in the Erode – Trichy Fort Section, the following changes are made in the operation of trains.
18.06.2017 Sunday
1. T.No.56320 Coimbatore Nagercoil Passenger to be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The...
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train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
2. T.No.56712 Palakkad Town-Trichy Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
3. T.No.16790/16688 Sri Mata Vaishnodevi Katra-Tirunelveli Express will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
4. T.No.56825 Erode-Tirunelveli Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
5. T.No.56821 Mayiladuthurai-Tirunelveli Passenger to be rescheduled to leave at 13.25 hrs. with 120 minutes late at Mayiladuthurai as against the scheduled departure of 11.25 hrs.
6. Train No.56842 Erode-Trichy Passenger to be halted at Moorthipalayam for 10 minutes and will reach Trichy Fort 10 minutes late.
7. T.No.56826 Tirunelveli-Erode Passenger is partially cancelled between Karur and Erode, and will be diverted via Karur-Salem.
8. T.No.56846 Erode-Jolarpet Passenger is partially cancelled between Erode and Salem, and will be started from Salem.
9. T.No.56713 Trichy-Palakkad Town Passenger will be rescheduled to leave at 16.00 hrs. at Trichy with a delay of 180 minutes and will be operated accordingly with delays en route.
10. T.No.56319 Nagercoil-Coimbatore Passenger to be rescheduled at 08.30 to leave from Nagercoil with a delay of 60 minutes as against scheduled departure of 07.30hrs and will be operated accordingly with delays en route.
11. T.No.17616 Madurai Kacheguda Express will be delayed at Karur for 35 minutes behind the scheduled departure of 17.25 hrs.
19.06.2017 Monday
1. T.No.56320 Coimbatore Nagercoil Passenger to be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
2. T.No.56712 Palakkad Town-Trichy Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
3. T.No.56825 Erode-Tirunelveli Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
4. T.No.56821 Mayiladuthurai-Tirunelveli Passenger to be rescheduled to leave at 13.25 hrs. with 120 minutes late at Mayiladuthurai as against the scheduled departure of 11.25 hrs.
5. T.No.16340 Nagercoil-Mumbai CST Express to be rescheduled to depart 09.30 hrs. at Nagercoil for 180 minutes behind the scheduled departure of 06.30hrs.
6. T.No.56826 Tirunelveli-Erode Passenger is partially cancelled between Karur and Erode, and will be diverted via Karur-Salem.
7. T.No.56846 Erode-Jolarpet Passenger is partially cancelled between Erode and Salem, and will be started from Salem.
8. T.No.56713 Trichy-Palakkad Town Passenger will be rescheduled to leave at 16.00 hrs. at Trichy with a delay of 180 minutes and will be operated accordingly with delays en route.
9. T.No.56319 Nagercoil-Coimbatore Passenger to be rescheduled at 08.30 to leave from Nagercoil with a delay of 60 minutes as against scheduled departure of 07.30hrs and will be operated accordingly with delays en route.
20.06.2017 Tuesday
1. Train No.56844 Erode-Trichy Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
2. T.No.56320 Coimbatore Nagercoil Passenger to be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
3. T.No.56712 Palakkad Town-Trichy Passenger will be diverted via Erode-Salem-Karur, via Namakkal, instead of Erode-Karur. With stoppages at Sangagiri, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal and Mohanur. The train will reach Karur with a delay of 120 minutes.
4. T.No.16340 Nagercoil-Mumbai CST Express to be delayed at Karur for 25 minutes and will reach Tirupattur with a delay of 25 minutes.
5. T.No.56841 Trichy-Erode Passenger to be partially cancelled bet Karur and Erode.
6. T.No.56825 Erode-Tirunelveli Passenger is partially cancelled between Erode and Karur, and will be started from Salem.
7. T.No.56826 Tirunelveli-Erode Passenger is partially cancelled between Karur and Erode, and will be diverted via Karur-Salem.
8. T.No.56846 Erode-Jolarpet Passenger is partially cancelled between Erode and Salem, and will be started from Salem.
9. T.No.56713 Trichy-Palakkad Town Passenger will be rescheduled to leave at 16.00 hrs. at Trichy with a delay of 180 minutes and will be operated accordingly with delays en route.