Plea to improve infrastructure at Erode Railway Junction

Ahead of the Union Budget 2026–27, the District Congress Minority Department has appealed to the Union Government to allocate adequate funds for improving railway infrastructure at Erode Railway Station and to restore, introduce several passenger train services across the State.

In a letter addressed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, K.N. Basha, Vice President of the department and former member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee, pointed out that Erode Railway Station, a major revenue-generating station under Southern Railway, has only four platforms, despite handling nearly 150 trains daily. Owing to heavy congestion, trains are often forced to wait outside the station, causing inconvenience to passengers. He urged the construction of an additional platform to ease traffic and improve operational efficiency.

Among other demands, Mr. Basha sought the extension of Train No. 16382 (Jayanti Janata Express) from Pune to Mumbai. He noted that the train, which had been operating up to Mumbai for over 70 years, was curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, compelling passengers to change trains late at night.

He further urged the reinstatement of scheduled halts at Kodumudi railway station for several trains, citing the town’s importance as a pilgrimage centre. The restart of the long-suspended Coimbatore–Salem daily passenger train was also demanded to reduce overcrowding in other services.

He called for converting the Coimbatore–Tirupati Intercity Express into a daily service and proposed the introduction of a new mid-morning Intercity Express from Coimbatore to Chennai to bridge the existing service gap and benefit commuters from western Tamil Nadu.