Pollachi MLA inspects closed level crossing in Vadugapalayam

Railway officials from the Palakkad division and Pollachi MLA Jayaraman visited the Vadugapalayam level crossing on Saturday. They aimed to assess the possibility of building a road over-bridge at this site. The level crossing has been in use for over 60 years. It connects 12 nearby villages to the main road. In July 2024, railway authorities unexpectedly closed the crossing, leading to protests from residents. They were concerned about losing access to the main road. Following the protests, revenue and police officials assured residents that the crossing would not be permanently closed. They promised to find a suitable solution. On December 7, 2024, MLA Jayaraman wrote to Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He requested either an over-bridge or an underpass, noting the importance of keeping the gate open until a permanent fix was found. On February 20, 2025, R N Singh, the general manager of Southern Railway, replied. He stated that the crossing would remain open due to public demand but mentioned that a road over-bridge could be built if the state government requested it. Following this update, railway officials conducted a thorough inspection with MLA Jayaraman and former municipality chairman Krishnakumar. They aimed to evaluate the technical aspects of building the proposed road over-bridge.