Facelift for Coimbatore North, Podanur stations

COIMBATORE: Southern Railway has announced developmental works worth 13.49 crore to improve basic amenities at Podanur and Coimbatore North stations.
A tender for the works, which will be carried out under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (phase 1), was floated 10 days ago, an official said. "Work order will be issued to the contractor after the end of the tender procedure. It may take a month. The works are expected to be completed in eight months," he said.
Focus will be on renovation of waiting halls and booking offices, platform development, parking area development and improvement of front elevation. Signages and digital boards will be installed wherever required. Other basic amenities such as augmentation of drinking water facilities and toilet facilities will be given priority.
As many as 15 stations in the division will be developed under the scheme, including Tirupur, Tirupattur, Erode, Salem, Morappur, Samalpatti, Bommidi and Chinna Salem, Karur, Mettupalayam, Ooty, Coonoor and Namakkal. Roughly around 96 crore will be spent on the developmental works.
A total of 90 stations will be developed as the Union government has allocated the required fund, the official added.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore-based rail users said development of Podanur, Mettupalayam and Coimbatore North stations was long-pending. Development of Coimbatore Railway Junction, which will require more money, should be taken up as a separate project, a user said.
With plans to develop Podanur and Coimbatore North stations, demand for decentralizing crowd movement at Coimbatore Junction has again come to the fore. The facility can be expanded as more space will be available.