Disagreement among welfare and passenger associations on renaming of Podanur Railway Station, one of the oldest in Tamil Nadu, as Coimbatore South has seemingly surfaced again.
The Podanur Railway Station was opened in 1862 next only to the ones at Royauram and Tiruchi Junction Railway Station.
On Friday, industry, trade and residents’ associations, in a collective appeal to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, sought renaming of Podanur Junction as Coimbatore South Junction.
In separate petitions submitted to the Railway Minister, through the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, the representatives of these associations urged the Railway Ministry to make Podanur the additional terminal for Coimbatore, in consideration of the growing population in the city owing to economic vibrancy.
The associations urged the Railway Ministry to approve train maintenance facilities like pit lines, stabling lines, coaching depot and train watering facility to the Podanur Railway Station at the earliest.
“In line with the policy followed by Railways in renaming stations inside the big cities in our country, Podanur must be renamed as Coimbatore South Junction which is situated inside the limits of Coimbatore Corporation,” J. Sathish, Director, Kongu Global Forum, said.
In deference to the persistent demand of these associations, the Southern Railway had, last year, indicated that a name change for the Podanur station was on the cards.
There was opposition then to this move and now as well from the Podanur Train Users’ Association.
Taking exception to the representations made by these associations, N. Subramanian, general secretary, Podanur Train Users’ Association, said any move to rename the station will be opposed stiffly by the public in Podanur.
“The name of the station has to be retained. However, in case name change is inevitable, Podanur station must be designated as Coimbatore Junction, and the existing junction be named Coimbatore City”, Mr. Subramanian said, adding that the association has already made a representation to the Railway Ministry explaining its stand on the issue.
