Potentials of the Palakkad - Pollachi Railway line

              Potentials of the Palakkad - Pollachi Railway line
(Madan Menon Thottasseri       email: tmadan.menon@gmail.com)
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Very unfortunate that Southern Railway neglected the gauge converted Palakkad – Pollachi branch line ( part of Palakkad – Dindigul section wherein the Pollachi – Dindigul line were completed earlier and introduced trains ) forgetting the need to introduce at least a pair of Palakkad - Rameswaram train, as a F.P or Express on the lines of such trains under the erstwhile M.G system. Even after the completion of the gauge conversion, it took more than one year to execute the signal work etc at the Palakkad Junction and thus the trains introduced between between Pollachi and Palakkad have been terminated/originated at Palakkad Town station itself as on date and these trains are yet to be made to terminate/originate at/from Palakkad Junction!

At this time there was announcement of the AC trains with latest LHB coaches between Pune and Tirunelvel and Ernakulam - Rameswaram ( SFST) through this new line. Of course these trains will cater to the travel needs of business and pilgrim passengers between South Tamil Nadu and Kerala's Cochin- Malabar regions. Unfortunately these pair trains too have no stoppages at Palakkad Town station as well as at the Kollengode railway station. Let me reiterate that the stoppage at Kollengode station ( at Oottara, less than 2 km from the Kollengode Town) will help many passengers in both directions as it is the nearest rail-head for an extensive enclave within the Palakkad district in the valley of Nelliyampathy hill station. Kollengode itself is a growing town and market in the Pollachi - Thrissur inter-state region. Others towns - Nemmara (well known for Nemmara-Vallenghy Vela festival, gate-way of Pothundy Resorvoir and Nelliyampathy) and Vadakkumcherry are situated in this enclave. Southern railway, especially the Madurai and Palakkad Railway divisions may take note of this suggestion and do the needful. I would request Passenger Associations in Palani, Pollachi and Palakkad to spare no efforts so as to prevail on Southern Railway for the early introduction of the Palakkad - Rameswaram Fast Passenger trains ( regular) with General and SL bogies as it was during the M.G era. Of course regular Express trains between Rameswaram and Ernakulam/Mangalore ( bifurcated/amalgamted at Shoranur Junction) can also be introduced with SL and two-three Upper Class [AC II/III tier bogies; even AC Chair Car (CC) bogies if run as Day trains] compartments can also be introduced.

Currently one Passenger Train that leaves Palakkad Town at 17.30 hours reaches pollachi at 19.00. Taking into account the volume of passengers, it will be fine if a connection train is introduced from Pollachi to Dindigul to facilitate passengers to connect trunk route super fast night trains at Dindigul, especially towards Chennai and Bangalore. Since the BG conversion in the Podanur – Pollachi line is over, there can be a late evening train from Coimbatore to Dindigul which offers connection at Pollachi to the train that comes from Palakkad.

There is a need for a loop line ( say after 'Kavilppadu' Railway Level Cross, between Palakkad Town and  PalakkadJn.) for enabling any trains, especially goods trains from Palakkad Town (in Palakkad Jn. - Pollachi section) that has to skip Palakkad Jn. and proceed towards Ottapalam/Shournur and vice versa. Otherwise the train must have to come at Palakkad Junction and then disconnect the engine, bring it back ti the rear side for attached with the last coach so as to proceed to the reverse direction. Southern railway is waiting for completion of gauge-conversion in the Pollachi -Podanur line, to give priority to that sanction than the Pollachi -Palakkad section! This is the step-motherly attitude of the T.N lobby in the S.Rly Head Quarters. Our M.Ps fromPalakkad - Thrissur - Kochi region may have to constantly interact with officials as well as with Minister/state minister of Rlys.

Southern railway had already affirmed the potential for promoting a new train route between Pollachi and Thiruvananthapuram while the Pollachi- Kollengode - Palakkad stretch waits for introduction of adequate express trains. In fact the said route would have become more attractive by creating the direct rail corridor from Pollachi to Thrissur ( a Chord line) by-passing the busy Palakkad by implementing the pending ( or shelved?) Kollengode - Thrissur railway line, which will be useful for the faster movement of Containers between Tuticorin and Kochi Ports. Kollengode – Thrissur, the proposed new railway line that facilitates a straight rail-route between Pollachi and Thrissur offers adequate scope to operating round the clock pilgrim shuttle services between Palani and Guruvayur (Guruvayur – Thrissur – Kollengode – Pollachi – Udumalaipet- Palani) to cover a distance of 176 K.m within four hours.

Kollengode – Thrissur line, if becomes reality will create a shortest route from Madurai/Trichy regions in Central Tamil Nadu to the Thrissur- Kochi regions of Kerala state. Trains between the Madurai/Trichy   and Thrissur/ Guruvayur, Ernakulam/ Alleppy  can be operated through Pollachi – Kollengode – Thrissur route, by-passing the traffic saturated Palakkad – Ottappalam – Shoranur/ Thrissur sections. Trains towards Malabar region, Mangalore and beyond through Konakan railways to Uduppi, Goa, Mumbai etc. can move through Pollachi- Kollengode- Thrissur- Shoranur Jn. as well as through Pollachi-Kolengode – Palakkad – Shoranur routes. It will be ideal if a new line is constructed between Pollachi and Karur too, so that the Thrissur – Kollengode – Pollachi – Dharapuram – Karur link will be a straint line which will further reduce the distance between Central Kerala and Trichy, the city in the centre of Tamil Nadu as well as  Chennai (Chennai Egmore) as well.

In future, the Thrissur- Vadakkumcherry - Nenmara – Kollengode - Pollachi- Podanur B.G.sections (129 k.m), will serve as an alternative route to the busy Thrissur- Palakkad Jn. – Podanur Jn. (125 k.m) double-lined trunk section. Thus Southern Railways can treat this route through the valley of Nelliyampathy hills, despite lengthier by 4 k.m as a ‘third line’ between Podanur and Thrissur. It enables to skip the traffic saturated Thrissur – Wadakkanchery - Shoranur – Ottapalam - Palakkad section. Once the Guruvayur – Thirunavaya railway line becomes reality, the Pollachi- Kollengode – Thrissur- Guruvayur – Thirunavaya stretch will also enable operation of trains between cities and pilgrim centers of central Tamil Nadu and west-coast cities like Kozhikode, Kannur, mangalore and places beyond like Goa, Mumbai etc through Konkan line bypassing the busy Palakkad – Ottapalam- Shoranur section.

Kollengode - Thrissur line (shelved or not ?) :

It is very significant that the proposed Kollengode – Thrissur line passes through Nemmara (Nenmara), the gate-way of Nelliyampathy Hill- Station. The Nemmara- vallanghy vela festival, Vela and Radholsavam at Ayalur , a village 4 km away from Nemmara, Vela festivals in many other villages and Kanyar kali festivals in host of Baghavathy temples in the whole enclave adds value to Nelliyampathy Hill station with tea gardens, orange farms and cardamom estates. Kanyarkali festivals are performed in temple premises in from desk to dawn and it provides all ingredients of folk-dance-dramas that can attract intellectuals to laymen amongst tourists. It is not an exaggeration to say that during the festival season, in this enclave of festivals in the Palakkad district, not even a single day passes without a celebration involving processions by adorned elephants accompanied by drum recitals like Chendamelams, Panchavadyams etc. and colourful fire-works at least in a couple of temples.

Nenmara is connected by road with Palakkad, the district headquarters through two or three routes with distances around 20 k.m. Nemmara town in the valley of the hill station is actually lying in the middle of Pollachi- Govindapuram – Kollengode – Nemmara – Chttillamcherry- Mudappallur ( for Mangalam Dam)- Vadakkumcherry – Pattikkad –Mannuthy -Thrissur Inter- State route (merged with NH-47 at Vadakkumcherry) .The distances by road from Nenmara to Pollachi towards east and to Thrissur towards west are 49 k.m each. Pothundy Dam, just 6 k.m away from Nenmmara en-route to Nelliyampathy hill station is constructed at the start-off of ‘Ayalur( Ayiloor) River’, a sub-tributary of Bharathapuzha which is an ideal recreation location with gardens. Boat rides are offered in the vast reservoir to attract tourists. This dam is having a unique status as ‘second largest in Asia without using cement-mixture’.

The present Nenmara town is constituted by the erstwhile old twin villages- Nenmara and Vallanghy. The towns is better known for spectacular show of elephants’ parade and fireworks displayed at the Nemmara- Vallenghy Vela Festival, held in the first week of April every year. This festival attracts not only people of people of Cochin- Malabar regions or Coimbatore- Pollachi- Tiruppur regions of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, but also tourists from far off big cities. Of late, foreign tourists visiting Kerala during the month of April are wooed by travel industry to witness the spectacular festival. The said rail link between Kollengode and Thrissur will give a face-lift to the paddy-cultivation and trading centers covered under Chulliyar, Pothundy, Mangalam and Peechi irrigation projects. Boat rides in Peechi, close to Thrissur and Pothundy reservoirs are popular. It will be an enchanting journey by a train that chugs through the beautiful countryside surrounded by thick lush of paddy fields, Coconut and areca-nut farms, rubber plantations and picturesque hills!

New Trains needed ( Between Chennai Egmore and Palakkad/Guruvayur/Ernakulam: 

Southern Railway can consider the immediate introduction of regular direct train service from Palakkad to Chennai Egmore via. Kollengode -Pollachi- Udumalaipet- Palani – Dindigul- Trichy- Vridhachalam- Villupuram – Chengalpet – Tambaram in such a manner that passengers to/fro South Kerala and Malabar regions get connection trains @ Palakkad Junction. If there are any constraints for the immediate introduction of an additional train in Chennai Egmore – Tambaram – Chengalpet- Villupuram – Vridhachalam - Trichy – Dindigul trunk route ( and then through Dindigul – Udumalpet – Palani – Pollachi – Palakkad section ). Please note that even a link train from Pondicherry ( just 38 k.m from Villupuram ) or Slip Coaches can be attached/changed at Villupuram Junction with this pair train as a sizable number of passengers travel between Pondicherry and Palakkad/Malabar regions.

Still I propose a pair of new trains between Chennai and Guruvayur via. Trichy - Dindigul – Palani – Pollachi – Kollengode and Palakkad which will also be beneficial to Pilgrims to/fro Palani and Guruvayur (both temple towns). This pair trains can have link trains between Madurai and Dindigul and thus passengers between Madurai and Guruvayur too will get overnight journey. This pair train can be made possible by conversion of the existing  Chennai Guruvayur train ( Train No. 16127/28 and Tuticorin Link Express No.16129/30) that travels very round-about journey via. Tirunelveli – Nagercoil, Thiruvananthapuram – Kollam – Alappuzha – Ernakulam Thrissur.

The pair trains between Chennai and Guruvayur via. Trichy - Dindigul – Palani – Pollachi – Kollengode and Palakkad ( via- Kollengode – Nemmara – Vadakkumcherry – Thrissur, if Kolengode –Thrissure railway line is implemented) will be beneficial to Pilgrims to/fro Palani and Guruvayur ( both temple towns). This pair trains can have link trains between Madurai and Dindigul and thus passengers between Madurai and Guruvayur too will get overnight journey. The existing Chennai Guruvayur train ( Train No. 16127/28 and Tuticorin Link Express No.16129/30) can be split as two trains viz. Chennai – Nagarcoil /Tuticorin Expresses ( the same Train Nos. and the Tuticorin link train bifurcates at Vanchi Maniyachi junction) and bogies of the Nagrcoil train can run as Nagarcoil – Guruvayur Express with a fresh Train Number. The down- train from Nagarcoil in the return direction under a different train number can be named as Nagarcoil – Chennai Egmore Express (together with the Link Express bogies from Tuticorin for amalgamation at the Vanchi Maniyachi Junction as usual).It is to be noted that passengers from Virudhanagar – Tirunelveli regions can travel to Guruvayur by the Nagarcoil train and continue their journey without changing the train while the composition of the Nagarcoil – Guruvayur train is to be with the same bogies. Reservations to/fro these stations are to be facilitated accordingly. Similarly passengers from from Kollam - Thiruvananthapuram – Nagacoil section can directly travel towards Chennai Egmore.

Now the Express train from Pollachi ( Train No.22651; up to Palani as a Special Train ) to Chennai Central through the round-about route via. Palani – Karur – Salem leaves Pollachi at 17.45 p.m, which is too early a departure time for passengers from Pollachi region. Probably the departure cannot be delayed as it will be inconvenient for passengers from intermediate stations like Karur, Namakkal and Salem. Further a delayed departure will haul the train into a traffic saturated schedule in the busy Salem – Chennai section.

If Southern Railway has any constraints for the immediate introduction of an additional train to Chennai Egmore via. Pollachi - Palani – Dindigul- Trichy- Vridhachalam- Villupuram – Chengalpet – Tambaram, it can consider at least week-end Specials between Chennai Egmore and Palakkad or Shoranur Junction.

Dindigul/Palani - Guruvayur shuttle trains:

I advocate for trains between Palani and Guruvayur ( as pilgrim F.P shuttles), Kozhikode/ Ernakulam Jn. and Madurai Jn. ( train in up and down directions can amalgamate/ bifurcate at Shoranur Jn) with stoppage at Shoranur – Ottapalam - Palakkad Jn. – Palakkad Town –Pudunagaram - Kollengode – Muthalamada - Pollachi – Udumalaipet - Palani – Oddanchatram - Dindigul – Kodai Road, as Intercity Day Trains. These trains can have stoppage at Wadakkancherry, Thrissur – Chalakkudi – Angamali – Aluva- Ernakulam Town stations between Shoranur and Ernakulam Jn. If Palakkad - Rameswaram night trains are introduced as Fast Passengers with Sleeper Class bogies, like the previous MG trains in this route, it will facilitate a convenient as well as a budget-travel to the rural crowd of pilgrims from Palakkad district who are the majority in number among pilgrims of Kerala visiting temple towns like Palani, Madurai and Rameswaram. At the same time there is feasibility for the introduction of a pair of Super-fast train with upper-class travel facilities between Managalore and Ramaswaram which stops at important stations alone.

I wish introduction of DEMU service between Dindigul and Guruvayur via. Palani - Udumalpet- Pollachi - Kollengode - Palakkad - Ottapalam - Wadakkancherry - Punkunnam (Thrissur). It need not go to the Thrissur Main Station. Apart from connecting two pilgrim towns - Palani and Guruvayur, a direct train between Dindigul and Guruvayur will facilitate passengers travelling to/from different places in Tamil Nadu while Dindigul is major rail-head lying in the Salem - Karur- Dindigul- Madurai - and Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul -Madurai - Rameswaram/Tutucorin/Tirunelveli- Nagarcoil - kanyakumari trunk routes. AC coaches ( with reclining cushioned chairs like CC Coaches of Inter-city express trains) will be very much patronized by pilgrims/tourists travelling between Palani and Guruvayur.

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