Coimbatore Junction
History
Train service in Coimbatore started with the opening of railway station at Podanur in 1962 as a part of the Podanur–Madras line connecting the west coast with the rest of India. Coimbatore junction became operational on 1 February 1873 after the construction of a branch line connecting Podanur. It was started as a halt station for the Coimbatore–Mettupalayam branch line. Until 1956, the Coimbatore Railway Division was functioning with Podanur as the headquarters before the headquarters was shifted to Olavakkode which became Palakkad railway division in 1980. The station became part of the newly formed Salem railway division in 2006. Coimbatore is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railways. As of 2023, it contributes to nearly 45% of the revenues of the Salem railway division and is classified as a NSG-2 station (annual revenue between 100 to 500 crore rupees and 10-20 million passengers handled).
Network and infrastructure
The station lies on the Jolarpettai–Shoranur 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge main line with other lines branching out from Coimbatore North and Podanur junctions. The station is connected with following railway lines:
The station has six platforms and handles about 165 trains daily. It is one of the 73 stations in Tamil Nadu to be named for upgradation under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme of Indian Railways.