City rly station may get reservation counter, parking lot at back entrance

Coimbatore: The southern railway is studying the possibility of setting up a separate ticket reservation counter, additional parking space and a cafeteria at the back entrance of Coimbatore Junction, which is on Goodshed Road, to decongest its front entrance.
A proposal in this regard was put forth at a meeting with Salem and Chennai MPs in September and it was subsequently given green signal.

The plan is to construct a three-storey building at the back entrance of the station, with a separate ticket reservation counter, a cafeteria and provisions for vehicle parking, including a multi-level two-wheeler parking lot.

The station presently has only one ticket reservation counter and it is at the front entrance. Despite the internet and app-based ticket booking services, the counter, which is on the first floor, draws large crowds daily. “Besides the vehicles coming to drop off and pick up passengers, the front entrance also gets congested with vehicles of people coming to book tickets,” said a railway official.

Pointing out that there was only a limited space for vehicle parking at the front entrance as the area has already been occupied by taxi cabs, and drop off and pick up zone, the official said it was imperative to create an alternate avenue for parking vehicles of people coming to book tickets.

“With the multi-level two-wheeler parking and other facilities, we believe that we can demarcate the crowd better,” the official said. However, they are yet to identify the location to set up the building.