TAMIL NADU (Metro Rail News): Kovilpalayam railway station near Kinathukadavu in Tamil Nadu is set to reopen after around 34 years, following sustained demands from passengers and local representatives. Southern Railway has sanctioned ₹35.36 crore to develop a new crossing station, but commuters will have to wait more than a year for the infrastructure work to finish.

Located between Kinathukadavu and Pollachi, Kovilpalayam station stopped operating around 1992, reportedly due to low passenger numbers. The revival is expected to improve rail access for local residents, college students, office-goers and migrant workers who currently depend on buses and two-wheelers.

Railway approves ₹35.36 Crore 

Sources in the Palakkad Railway Division said Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai had approved ₹35.36 crore for establishing the new crossing station at Kovilpalayam. The work will begin through the tendering process. Rail services are expected to stop at the station only after construction and other infrastructure works are complete, a process likely to take more than a year.

The existing station building was demolished during gauge conversion work. A new building will need to be constructed, while the station premises currently remain overgrown with bushes. The approved project includes a crossing line and other infrastructure needed to revive the station.

Three-year campaign leads to approval

Passenger associations and local representatives have pursued the revival for the past three years through petitions and meetings with railway officials. Pollachi MP K Eswarasamy also raised the issue in Parliament, after which railway officials approved the proposal.

R Senthil Kumara Moorthy, former president of Mullupadi Gram Panchayat, said campaigners had approached the Southern Railway General Manager and the Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager, besides seeking support from MPs and MLAs. The station previously served trains travelling towards Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari and Rameswaram, according to local campaigners.

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Commuters seek better railway access

Local residents say the station’s revival has become more relevant as the population has grown and industries have expanded in the surrounding area. Senthil Kumara Moorthy said the region now has several industries employing migrant workers. Many workers travel by bus to Coimbatore to board trains to their hometowns.

K Shivamohan, a Kinathukadavu-based railway enthusiast and secretary of the Welfare Association of Rail Passengers, Coimbatore-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul, said the station could also help students and office-goers who travel to Coimbatore by bus or two-wheeler. Passenger groups expect the station to reduce travel expenses and improve access to rail services. They have also called for more train services on the route, even as the station’s infrastructure is being developed.

Kovilpalayam Railway Station revival still more than a year away

Despite the sanction, work has yet to begin. The tender process must first move forward, followed by construction of the station building, crossing line and related facilities.

Campaigners are planning a meeting to thank railway officials and elected representatives for the approval and discuss further improvements required at Kovilpalayam.

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