Soon,From Chennai can take a direct train from the Egmore station to Palani

Gauge Conversion works on Pollachi-Palakkad nearing Completion

Coimbatore (CBE): Even as the gauge conversion of the Pollachi-Coimbatore railway track is likely to be delayed by at least another 10 months, the gauge conversion of the Pollachi-Palakkad track is nearing completion. Once this project is complete, people from Chennai can take a direct train from the Egmore station to Palani or Pollachi and back.

In what would be considered as welcome news to the lakhs of Lord Muruga devotees in-and-around Chennai who visit Palani regularly, the conversion of the 56-km Palakkad-Pollachi railway track conversion from a metre gauge to a broad gauge at the cost of nearly 224 crore is almost complete.

“We are waiting for the commissioner of railway safety to inspect the track and clear it for usage. It should happen by June-end,” said the Palakkad railway division spokesperson. This will allow pilgrims to take a train from Chennai directly to Palani or Pollachi. “Presently, these pilgrims need to interchange trains at Dindigul,” said the spokesperson. “Most pilgrims take a train from Chennai to Coimbatore or Palakkad, and then hire a car or take a bus from there to Palani,” R Murugan, manager of Sakthi Tours and Travels, said.

However, it will take almost another year for the people of Coimbatore to benefit from the gauge conversion. Residents of the city would be able to take a direct train to Palani only if the track to Pollachi is converted into a broad gaugeThe spokesperson of the Salem division of Southern Railways, reiterated that once gauge-conversion of the Coimbatore-Pollachi track is complete, we can run direct trains to Palani

However, this gauge-conversion work of the route till Pollachi is going on at a snail’s space due to the shortage of funds. “No funds were allotted to the project even during this year’s railway budget,” said an official from the railway construction department.