Coimbatore: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the renovated Pollachi railway junction through videoconferencing from Madurai. The railway junction was upgraded at a cost of Rs13.93 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.A function was organized at the railway junction as part of the inaugural ceremony. Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Pollachi MLA V Jayaraman, Palakkad railway division manager Madhukar Roat and senior Southern Railway officials were present at the event. During the function, Jayaraman submitted a memorandum to the Union minister, seeking key improvements. His demands included rescheduling the Pollachi-Coimbatore night passenger train to enable passengers to connect with major Chennai-bound express trains, addition of five coaches to the Pollachi-Tiruchendur train, and establishing a goods shed at Koolanayakkanpatti to support coconut and coir sectors. Members of the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee and the Pollachi Rail Passengers Welfare Association, meanwhile, sought extension of the Bengaluru-Coimbatore Uday Double Decker and Ernakulam-Palakkad MEMU services up to Pollachi with a stop on Anaimalai Road. Their other demands included reintroduction of the erstwhile Coimbatore-Rameswaram service as an Erode-Rameswaram night train via Pollachi, a daily night train to Tambaram from Coimbatore or Pollachi, restoration of Kovilpalayam station, and introduction of special services on Mettupalayam-Tirunelveli, Podanur/Coimbatore-Tambaram and Coimbatore–Dindigul routes. Receiving the petitions, the Union minister assured that the efforts would be made to meet the demands. Pollachi railway Junction, an NSG-5 category station under the Palakkad division of Southern Railway, has undergone a comprehensive modernization to improve passenger amenities, accessibility and overall infrastructure. Key upgrades include reconstruction of the station building, a new air-conditioned waiting hall with modern toilets, additional toilet blocks, a renovated booking office and improved circulating areas with dedicated walkways. Parking facilities for cars and two-wheelers have been created. The station now features 17 platform shelter bays, tactile paving for disabled passengers, lift connectivity, upgraded foot over-bridge and subway, enhanced signage, digital train display boards, mobile charging points, decorative lighting, landscaping, a selfie point and a new entrance arch.
