Rameshwaram - Coimbatore Train reintroduced by Southern Railway
According to source a decade after discontinuation, Southern Railway is all set to revive the only direct train link between Rameswaram and Palakkad. However, due to track constraints, the train will run between Rameswaram and Coimbatore. Reportedly the Southern Railway has also sent a proposal to the railway board to make this happen. Rameswaram-Palghat passenger was one of the trains that connected Palghat with centres of pilgrimage like palani and Rameswaram. It ran from Palakkad via Pollachi, palani, Dindigul, Madurai and Manamadurai to reach Rameswaram.
Earlier the train was suspended in 2008 to facilitate gauge conversion of the entire railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge. Furthermore services on this line have been resuming on a piecemeal approach since 2015 and the Palakkad –Tiruchendur and Madurai-Trivandrum Amrita Express are the only trains that are being operated on this line. Further according to the proposal, the trains from Rameswaram and Coimbatore will start from their origin at 10.30 pm and reach their destinations at 8 am the following day.
Moreover apart from this train, the Railways also has proposed to operate fast passenger service between Thoothukudi and Coimbatore via Madurai and Pollachi, by delinking some compartments of the tirunelveli-Thoothukudi passenger and linking it to the Pollachi-Coimbatore passenger train. Perhaps apart from this, there are also proposals to extend the Intercity Express operating between Mangaluru and Coimbatore till Mettupalayam and also to introduce a new overnight train between Bengaluru and Coimbatore.