Title - The Hindu : NATIONAL / TAMIL NADU : Coimbatore – Irugur railway line not getting ‘due status’

“Irugur – Podanur single line still being treated as main line” The latest System Map, an official drawing in the Operations Information System of the official Indian Railways website, shows that the Irugur – Coimbatore double line has not been given its ‘due status’ as a main line and continues to be treated as a branch line.

The Podnaur – Irugur single line continues to enjoy the status of being the main line.

This assumes significance at a time when the Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee is lobbying to get trains routed via Coimbatore.

At present, trains running on the Irugur – Podanur – Irugur line skip Coimbatore Junction.

The Struggle Committee is also opposed to the idea of grant of a feasibility study to double the Podanur - Irugur line since the study would only result in more trains skip Coimbatore Junction, says R. Raveendran of the Struggle Committee.

Classification

In terms of classification, both the lines are clubbed under Group B (a higher gradation wherein trains could be run at 130 kmph).

If one were to go by the markings in the official map, the 10 km line between Irugur and Podanur is considered to be the main line from Chennai with the kilometre continuity being maintained.

The line from Irugur towards Coimbatore via Singanallur, Pilamedu and Coimbatore North starts at 0.00 km and ends at 17.70 km at Coimbatore Junction.

The branch line from the other side of Coimbatore Junction ends with 167.01km, indicating that Coimbatore is being treated as a termination for the line from Dindigul via Palani, Udumalpet, Pollachi and Podanur, points out rail activist S. Ravi.

According to him, Coimbatore will not form part of the main Madras Line and will be treated as a terminating point for the line from Dindigul while the Podanur – Irugur section will be the main line.

This is a clear indication that even after two years of gauge conversion (Podanur – Coimbatore) and doubling of the line (Irugur and Podanur), Railways has refused to give the main line status for the line via Coimbatore.