Works undertaken to renovate Mettupalayam Station at a cost of ₹ 80 lakh will be completed by the end of this year, railway sources said.

A railway official told The Hindu that creation of yard, pit line, and terminal facilities could result in trains extended from Coimbatore and terminated at Mettuppalayam.

Rail activist S. Ravi said that the Southern Railway must invest in more platforms and maintenance facilities at Mettupalayam station to operate more trains in the future. He said that the station served as the railhead for the Nilgiris district, where a significant number of people from southern districts and neighbouring States resided.

“Tourists who want to visit Goa, Kanyakumari or Rameswaram after visiting the Nilgiris will be benefited if the railways introduced trains to these destinations from Mettuppalayam,” he said.

Noting that an entire rake of train no. 12671 Blue Mountain Express from Chennai to Coimbatore is being taken to Mettupalayam upon arrival at the Coimbatore Junction, Mr. Ravi called this “a very significant achievement for the Mettupalayam Station.”

Regarding the extension of rail services to Mettupalayam, Mr. Ravi said a proposal to extend train no. 22610 Intercity Express running between Coimbatore and Mangalore to Mettupalayam has not materialised. He also suggested the extension of train no. 22475 Hisar – Coimbatore AC SF Express to Mettupalayam.

Any demand for introduction of new trains or increase in frequency is often met with the reply that there are no adequate terminal or maintenance facilities at the Coimbatore Junction as it is landlocked, members of the Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee said.