The Blue Mountain Express is expected to commence operations between Mettupalayam and Madurai soon. Southern Railway officials have sent a proposal in this regard to the railway board headquarters.

The plan to start the service to Madurai was unveiled when the divisional railway manager U Subbarao visited the Mettupalayam station recently.

“We conducted a survey and came to know about the public demand for a train between Mettupalayam and Madurai,” an official with the Salem railway division said.

The Blue Mountain Express, which runs between Mettupalayam and Chennai, presently lies idle at the Mettupalayam railway station during the daytime.

The train departs Mettupalayam at 7.45pm and reaches Chennai at 5.5am. It then leaves Chennai at 9.15pm and reaches Mettupalayam at 6.15am.

The official said the plan was to introduce to and fro service to Madurai, instead of keeping the express train stationed at Mettupalayam diuring the daytime.

Now that the Pollachi line has become functional, we have sent the proposal to operate the train, the official said and added that the train timings and stoppings would be decided after the proposal gets approval.

Another official source, meanwhile, said works on the platform and foot over-bridge were on at the Mettupalayam railway station. “The service will start after the work is completed,” the source said.