Coimbatore: To cater to the heavy summer rush, Southern Railway has extended the existing Mettupalayam–Tirunelveli special train service from April 5 to June 7 and proposed to increase the existing bi-weekly Mettupalayam-Tuticorin train service for three more days in a week.The proposal was submitted to the Railway Board for approval on March 30. It is proposed to operate the services on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday from Tuticorin Junction, and on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Mettupalayam station with stoppages at Virudhunagar junction, Madurai junction, Dindigul junction, Podanur junction and Coimbatore junction. The proposal foresees operating 27 trips in each direction from April 7 to June 4. Southern Railway has mentioned the tentative departure time of the Tuticorin-Mettupalayam train as 6.15am and arrival time at Mettupalayam as 2.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. In the return direction, the train will depart from Mettupalayam at 7.45pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and reach Tuticorin at 3.30am the following day. Southern Railway has been operating Mettupalayam-Tuticorin (no:16765) bi-weekly express train with departure time at 7.45pm and arrival at 4.15am the following day, on Sundays and Fridays. Tuticorin-Mettupalayam Express (no:16766) is being operated on Thursdays and Saturdays. The journey begins at 11.40pm and culminates at 7.40am the following day. The train is operated with stoppages at Coimbatore Junction, Podanur Junction, Kinathukadau Junction, Pollachi Junction, Udumalaipet, Palani, Oddanchatram, Dindigul Junction, Madurai Junction, Virudhunagar Junction, Sattur, Kovilpatti, and Tuti Melur. J Sathish, director of Kongu Global Forum said, welcomed the proposal to increase the train services between Mettupalayam and Tuticorin and the extension of Mettupalayam-Tirunelveli weekly special train service. The proposed Mettupalayam–Tuticorin summer special train and the extension of the Mettupalayam–Tirunelveli train service will benefit passengers in southern districts. They will offer a daytime route to Coimbatore and boost tourism to Ooty, he added. He requested Southern Railways to reinstate the historic Coimbatore–Rameswaram train service and Coimbatore-Tiruchendur train serivce, which will benefit the pilgrims and encourage families to travel to these spiritual destinations especially during the holidays. He also welcomed the proposal to operate special trains between Podanur and Chennai Central from April 10 to June 7.
