Coimbatore, September 23, 2013: Coimbatore Railway Struggle Committee has appealed to the Salem Divisional Railway Manager Sujatha Jayaraj to represent to the Railway Board for a commercial stop for the Coimbatore – Rajkot – Coimbatore Express at Mantralayam Road.

In a representation, the committee’s office-bearers G.K. Nagaraj and R. Raveendran said Train Number 16613 from Rajkot to Coimbatore leaves Rajkot on Sunday at 5 a.m. and reaches Coimbatore on Tuesdays at 2 a.m.

En route, the train stops at Mantralayam Road from 7.57 a.m. to 8.12 a.m. and is treated as a technical stop. Being a technical stop, commuters cannot book tickets from Mantralayam Road.

In the opposite direction, Train Number 16614 leaves Coimbatore on Thursdays at 11.45 p.m. and reaches Rajkot on Saturdays at 5 p.m.

The train passes through Mantralayam around 2.30 p.m. on Fridays.

But there is no technical halt for the train at Mantralayam Road.

Devotees of Sri Raghavendra from this region and travelling to Mantralayam Road have two daily trains connections. Train Number 16832 from Kanyakumari to Mumbai Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminal and Train Number 11014 Coimbatore – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Kurla Express. If the Coimbatore – Rajkot – Coimbatore Express trains are given a two-minute commercial stoppage, it will benefit hundreds of devotees. Rail activist S. Ravi wanted Railways to consider routing this train via Bangalore to provide additional train connectivity for Coimbatore.

Source: The Hindu, September 23, 2013