COIMBATORE: Three additional platforms would be constructed at Coimbatore North railway station to facilitate more originating trains and thereby to decongest Coimbatore Junction railway station, Southern Railway general manager U Subba Rao said on Friday. He said Southern Railway plans to develop the Thudiyalur railway station in the city into a crossing station.Speaking to reporters after an inspection at Coimbatore Railway Junction, Rao said, “Southern Railway is planning to convert Thudiyalur into a crossing station with track doubling to improve connectivity. Doubling the line depends on the availability of land and feasibility. We shall look into the possibilities of converting the stretch from North station to Periyanaickenpalayam station into double lines,” he said.He said a proposal to extend six trains from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam had been submitted to the Railway Board about two months ago and was still waiting for approval.The general manager said his recent meeting with Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay focused on land acquisition for various railway development projects. He said doubling work between Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram was among the projects discussed.During his inspection, the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, submitted a series of recommendations seeking better passenger services and long-term railway infrastructure development. It urged Southern Railway to increase the number of coaches on the Coimbatore-Chennai Vande Bharat Express, revise departure timings of several intercity trains and examine rerouting services to improve connectivity. It sought daily operation of the Coimbatore-Rameswaram overnight express, an additional stoppage for the Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai Jan Shatabdi Express at Kodumudi and extension of certain services towards the Cauvery Delta region.The chamber reiterated the need for a circular railway service connecting Coimbatore, Pollachi, Mettupalayam and Tirupur.Other key demands included developing Podanur as a second passenger terminal, expediting the coaching depot project, doubling the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam line, improving amenities at suburban stations and strengthening the missing rail link between Coimbatore Junction, Nanjundapuram, Vellalore and Irugur.Members of the Podanur Train Users Association sought one-minute stoppages at Podanur for the Bengaluru-Ernakulam, Coimbatore-Mangaluru and Ernakulam-Karaikal express services. They requested stoppages for additional intercity trains, restoration of earlier departure timings for passenger services and the establishment of a northern entrance to Podanur station.The association sought permission to construct a memorial stupa at Podanur Junction commemorating the victims of the 1921 Wagon Tragedy, in which around 70 prisoners being transported from Tirur in a closed goods wagon died of suffocation.Railway users have urged officials to accelerate the Podanur coaching depot project, which includes three pit lines, three stabling lines and two sick lines, and to consider dedicated pit lines for Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains.