The Salem Division of Southern Railways is doing away with the scissor crossings located close to the Coimbatore Junction.
In a major work to be carried out from September 3 to 6, these crossings will be replaced with normal parallel tracks. Because of this, there will be train diversions in Coimbatore.
The Railways have erected notice boards about these diversions at the stations through which the Coimbatore trains pass.
Announcements will also be made using public address systems in the stations en route when the diversion comes into effect.
Officials said that the two scissor crossings, also known as cross over, were laid when the Coimbatore Railway Station came into existence. The crossings are made of components, such as wooden sleepers, that are now outdated. Used by thousands of trains for more than a century, the crossings pose a threat to safe operations. Moreover, the Railway Board has also taken a policy level decision to do away with scissor crossings across the country.
The Salem Division Railway officials said that the replacements at the Coimbatore Junction was sanctioned in 2010 at an estimate of Rs. 1.5 crore, but fund was allotted only now.The officials claimed that the works had been planned such that there would be no major disturbance of train operations. Trains from, to and passing through the Coimbatore Junction would be diverted to the Podanur and Coimbatore North railway stations. No trains were cancelled because of the diversion for the four days, the officials said.
