| Podanur Junction | |
| Type: | Regional rail and Light rail station |
| Style: | Indian Railways |
| Address: | Podanur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Country: | India |
| Line: | Jolarpettai–Shoranur line Coimbatore–Pollachi line |
| Structure: | Standard (on-ground station) |
| Platform: | 5 |
| Tracks: | 8 |
| Parking: | Available |
| Opened: | 18/07/1861 |
| Electrified: | Yes |
| Owned: | Indian Railways |
| Zone: | Southern Railway zone |
| Status: | Functioning |
Podanur Junction railway station (station code: PTJ) is an NSG–5 category Indian railway station in Salem railway division of Southern Railway zone.[1] It is a railway station in Podanur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.[2]
It was the first railway station in the Coimbatore district, Western Region,[3] which opened in 18 July 1861 and third oldest railway station in South India next to Royapuram and Tiruchirappalli Junction railway station.[4] It serves one of the four way junction in India.[5] [6] [7] It was served as one of the Railway Divisional Head Quarters of South Indian Railways which is named as Podanur Division, later in 1953 Podanur Division was dissolved and divisional headquarters was shifted to Olavakkode (now Palakkad division) in Kerala.
Before the gauge conversion between Podanur-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul line in 2008, this station served as the important station for the connectivity of western Tamil Nadu to southern regions.[8]
The station has five platforms and a junction, joining lines going in four different routes: towards Coimbatore Junction, towards Irugur, towards Pollachi and towards Palakkad.
This station handles long-distance trains and local trains.[9] [10]
After Podanur – Dindigul gauge conversion, trains planned to operate from Podanur Junction, to serve as a satellite railway station for Coimbatore city junction. But still people demand to bring back the trains Coimbatore to Madurai, Coimbatore to Rameshwaram, Coimbatore to Sengottai in this line that was earlier running successfully before the gauge conversion.[11]