COIMBATORE: Redevelopment work at Coimbatore North railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) is nearing completion, and it is expected to be finished by September.Redevelopment work undertaken at a cost of Rs 11.5 crore was inaugurated at North Coimbatore station in August 2023. It was supposed to be over by February this year. However, the delayed progress of work led to further extension.Talking to TOI, a senior official in Salem railway division said, “The pending work includes surface work like nameboards in terminal buildings, nameboards at entry and exit arches and minor aesthetics. A review meeting will be held shortly. Installation of elevators is progressing. The additional platform dedicated for the MEMU train has reached 70% completion. We are planning one or two services to originate from Coimbatore North and Podanur.”Meanwhile, the Podanur Train Users Association alleged that the railways was planning to return the eight-coach MEMU rakes to Chennai after introducing the 12-coach MEMU service to Mettupalayam, once the platform work is completed at Coimbatore North. However, the official denied any such plans. “So far, there have been no plans to send back the rakes of the existing MEMU service,” he said.The association requested the Salem division to introduce a new MEMU service to Pollachi or Dindigul. In the past, MEMU services were operated between Coimbatore and Salem, and between Coimbatore and Dindigul. But these services have been withdrawn. They demanded that the services be reintroduced by utilising the existing rakes.
