Title - Speed up works at Coimbatore Railway Junction: train users

Members of District Railway Users Consultative Committee from Coimbatore R. Raveendran and U.K. Sivagnanam have asked the officials at the Salem Railway Division to accelerate the pace of execution of railway works in the district.Mr. Raveendran told The Hindu after the meeting that they had asked the Divisional Railway Manager Sujatha Jayaraj to take up construction of a ticket booking counter and waiting hall at the Coimbatore North Junction and presented the letter from P.R. Natarajan, MP, sanctioning Rs. 35 lakh for the purpose.They sought details about the second subway that was under construction, he said and added that the railway officials said that the work would be completed by September this year.The officials promised installation of escalators at the station by December this year.The officials promised to provide parking facility near the new entrance and spoke about their efforts to float tender for the parking lot at the main entrance.

The railway administration floated new tender after initiating action against the contractor, against whom they had received complaints.

Mr. Raveendran said that the railway officials sought three months to put in place an electronic coach guidance system, necessary to help passengers identify coach position.

They sought the Committee members help to identify sponsors for having battery-operated car at the station to help elderly people move with ease on the platform.

They would now look for sponsors for the two battery-operated cars, the maintenance of which would work out to Rs. 50,000 a year a car.

The Committee members had sought replacement of the two faulty elevators in the station and also two additional ones.

If the railway administration were to concede their demand, it would help differently abled and senior citizens reach the platforms without much of a discomfort.

The railway officials told them that they had once floated tender to carry-out electrification of the track between Coimbatoreand Mettupalayam but there was no taker. They had again floated a tender.

As for the need for a foot-over bridge at the Singanallur Junction, the railway officials had told them that the contractor who was supposed to execute the work had abandoned the project and that they were looking for another contractor to complete the work at the earliest.

Mr. Raveendran said that they had asked for extension to Coimbatore North and Peelamedu of a few trains that terminate at the Coimbatore Junction so as to help people alight at the nearest junction and also decongest the Coimbatore Junction.

A release from the Salem Railway Division said that the railway administration was committed to the safety and security of passengers and cleanliness at stations and in trains. It also accorded priority to maintaining vigil at stations to prevent the movement of unlawful elements at railway stations.

The release added that Committee member from Erode C.S. Gowthaman was elected to represent the Salem Railway Division in the Southern Railway Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee.