Palakkad Town railway station, the city's other station
Palakkad Town railway station (code PGTN) is one of the two railway stations serving Palakkad in Kerala, the other being Palakkad Junction. It is an NSG-5 station in the Palakkad division of the Southern Railway. The station opened in 1904 and was rebuilt in 2025.
Routes
- Palakkad Junction–Palakkad Town: a short single-line electrified broad-gauge link.
- Palakkad Town–Pollachi Junction: a single-line electrified broad-gauge route into Tamil Nadu, part of the Palakkad–Pollachi line that connects with the Dindigul–Pollachi section.
The Pollachi line's long story
The Palakkad–Pollachi line was completed as a metre-gauge railway on 1 April 1932, when the region was part of the Madras Presidency. It was closed for gauge conversion from 10 December 2008. After safety tests and inspection, the Commissioner of Railway Safety approved the section between Palakkad Town and Pollachi on 8 October 2015; goods trains returned on 25 October and passenger services resumed on 16 November 2015. The line has fewer trains now than in its metre-gauge days, and the lack of a bypass to avoid a loco reversal at Palakkad Junction is often cited as the main bottleneck.
Trains and future plans
Two MEMU services and an express train to Tiruchirappalli operate from Palakkad Town. Work on a pit line to service Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trainsets began in early 2024 and is expected to be working by August 2026. A 1.8 km extension has also been approved to link the station directly to Parli, bypassing Palakkad Junction. Together these could turn PGTN into a much bigger railway hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Palakkad Town the same as Palakkad Junction?
No. Palakkad has two stations; Palakkad Town (PGTN) is the one on the Pollachi line.
When did Palakkad Town railway station open?
In 1904. It was rebuilt in 2025.
Which trains run from Palakkad Town?
MEMU services and an express to Tiruchirappalli, with trains towards Pollachi.
Check timings on our train schedule page.