Passengers in the Tiruppur and Coimbatore region have urged the Railways to introduce a night-time MEMU service from Coimbatore to Madurai via Tiruppur, Erode, Karur and Dindigul. They say the demand is driven by the large population from southern districts living in these industrial hubs and travelling frequently for work, family and religious visits.
According to commuters, the Coimbatore–Madurai corridor currently has seven trains, but only a few run via Tiruppur and Erode, and only some operate daily. With limited options, a daytime train is often followed by the next available service only at night.
During weekends and long holidays, passengers report severe overcrowding and difficulty getting seats, forcing many families to travel standing through late-night journeys. They believe an additional night MEMU would reduce pressure on existing services and improve connectivity to Madurai.
Separately, travellers have also sought daytime express bus services from Tiruppur to Chennai and Bengaluru. At present, SETC buses on these routes are said to operate mainly at night, leaving no direct government buses between 6 am and 6 pm.
In the absence of daytime services, passengers say they must change buses via Salem or Sathyamangalam, while those needing urgent travel often turn to higher-priced omni buses. They have requested trial daytime special services and also suggested rerouting express buses to avoid delays on the narrow Uthukuli Road where flyover work is underway.
