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Kanniyakumari District Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Madras government of the South Indian Railway wanted to extend their rail links into Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor) for commercial interests of both the states, during 1873. The Chief Engineer of Travancore, Mr. Barton, suggested a proposal to link Travancore by a railway line drawn from Kovilpatti of Madras state to Trivandrum (since renamed Thiruvananthapuram) through Shencottah in the Chittar mountain area, and from Trivandrum to Quilon (since renamed Kollam), the commercial centre of Kerala. Although the "South Indian Railway Company were inclined to make a survey of the southern route via the Aramboly pass to Trivandrum, --- the balance of opinion was in favour of the Northern route,[so] they obtained permission to survey that as well" The Dewan of Travancore Mr. Ramiengar "suggested that a line from Kovilpatti to Quilon through Shencottah would be the one most advantageous."About the close of 1881 the Consulting Engineer for Railways ordered a trial survey of the line from Tirunelveli to Trvandrum via Shenkottai, Aryankavu and Quilon. Immediately the Chief Engineer of S.I.R took up the survey of, both the Southern and Northern routes to Trivandrum. In 1882, he submitted the report wherein he discussed the merits and demerits of both the routes. He held that the southern route would be cheaper and more beneficial than the northern one. But Dewan Ramiengar was strongly in favour of the northern route which would better promote its commercial interests of the country since Trivandrum was no more important commercially than Quilon. So the northern route was approved by the S.I.R. authorities and work started to link Tirunelveli Quilon via Tenkasi, Shencottah and Aryankavu. [1] In 1913, the Secretary of State for India sanctioned the extension of railway line from Quilon to Trivandrum beach (present Pettai Station) and it was opened for traffic on 1 January 1918. In 1926 the extension of this line from Trivandrum Beach to the heart of the city, that is Thampanoor (the present-day Thiruvananthapuram Central), was completed in 1931. Hence the rail link ended at Trivandrum. At that point, when the work of extension of the railway line from Quilon to Trivandrum was taken up, there was no proposal or plan to extend it to Nagercoil.
In the year 1925 a survey was undertaken between Palamcottah and Punnagudi and the Travancore Government objected to taking it up to Nagercoil. and this survey disclosed that the line would cost Rs. 22 lakhs. [2]
| Section | Date of Opening | Length in miles | Owner/section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirunelveli-Kallidaikurichi | 1 June 1902 | 19.13 | British Section |
| Kallidaikurichi-Near Shengottah | 1 August 1903 | 31.28 | British Section |
| Quilon-Punalur | 1 June 1904 | 28.28 | Travancore Section |
| Punalur-Near Shengottah | 26 November 1904 | 29.77 | Travancore Section |
| Quilon-Trivandrum | 1 January 1918 | 37-91 | Travancore Section |
Nobody requested or represented to the Maharaja or Dewan in this respect. But in 1928 a request was made to extend the rail link up to Nageroil. The very first man from South Travancore who made a claim at the Sree Moolam popular Assembly (headed by the Dewan of Travancore) to extend the Railway line up to Nagercoil was a Tamilian by name Mr. D. Francis of Ramanpudur on 1 March 1928 who was nominated as a member to the Sree Moolam popular Assembly by the Maharaja himself. The then Dewan Mr. Rajagopala Chariyar replied negatively, expressing the state’s inability to comply with his request,
as the Govt. have vested their attention to implement the Chakkai – Trivandrum Rail link, through Nagercoil extension was Surveyed and found feasible.
Once again, the Tamil people of South Travancore were refused their request. After Mr. D.Francis, nobody raised this issue either at Sree Moolam Popular Assembly or at Chithira Popular Assembly for a rail link in to the Tamil area of Travancore, till Mr. Nesamony, the father of Kanyakumari District raised this issue at the Indian parliament, on 8 March 1965, wherein he requested extension of the railway line from Tirunelveli to Kanyakumari and then to Trivandrum Via Nagercoil. This was accepted by the Govt. of India in principle but he could not see it implemented during his lifetime as he expired on 1 June 1968.
The foundation stone for Kanyakumari Railway station was laid on 6 April 1972 by the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, while Sri.K.Kamaraj was the sitting Member of Parliament. He was not even invited for the foundation stone laying function as he had split with Indira Gandhi in 1969 and formed the INC(O).He had also won the Kanyakumari parliament constituency following the death of Nesamony defeating the challenges posed by the congress faction led by Indira Gandhi. As the function was performed at his constituency he made it a point to participate like an ordinary public man and he was made to sit at the first row provided for the public. On seeing him made to sit in such a neglected position Mrs. Gandhi was shocked and invited him to the dais, where he was then honoured suitably. Thus a Tamil people’s leader was ill-treated by the officers, even before the Prime Minister of India by the Railway officers. After a lapse of seven years the Railway line and the Kanyakumari railway station was inaugurated on 15 April 1979 by the then Prime Minister Mr. Morarji Desai.
The Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari railway line was opened on 15 April 1979, and was then under Madurai Division. Trivandrum division was formed on second October 1979 carving out certain sections from Madurai division. The Meter Gauge sections of Madurai division were retained, while all the newly laid Broad Gauge Sections of Madurai Division were transferred to Trivandrum Division. Thus, the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari BG line, and the under-construction Tirunelveli-Nagercoil BG line were transferred to Trivandrum Division. It was then mentioned that when the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli line is completed, the sections falling under Kanyakumari district and Thirunelveli District would be transferred back to Madurai Division. The Nagercoil-Tirunelveli line was converted into BG line on 8 April 1981 and ever since people from South Tamil Nadu have been demanding the merger of Kanyakumari BG line with Madurai Division.
| Station name | Station code | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Nagercoil Junction | NCJ | A |
| Nagercoil Town | NJT | F |
| Kanyakumari | CAPE | A |
| Kulitthurai | KZT | B |
| Eraniel | ERL | D |
| Aralvaymozhi | AAY | E |
| Palliyadi | PYD | F |
| Kulitthurai West | KZTW | F |
| Viranialur | VRLR | F |
| Suchindram | SUCH | F |
| Tovalai [37] | THX | F |
Kanyakumari district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nadu in terms of per capita income, and also tops the state in Human Development Index (HDI), literacy, and education. The district's headquarters is Nagercoil.
Thiruvananthapuram Central, or Trivandrum Central,, is a major railway station that serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala state, India. It is the busiest railway station in Kerala and an important rail hub in Southern Railway. The building of the railway station is one of the iconic landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram. The station is located at the center of the city opposite Central bus station Thiruvananthapuram at Thampanoor.
Tirunelveli Junction railway station, also known as Nellai Junction railway station serves the city of Tirunelveli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is owned by the Madurai Railway division. The Nellai Express - a super-fast train connecting Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore - runs packed almost throughout the year. Any train passing through the station halts at one of the five platforms, regardless of destination.
Eraniel Railway station in Eraniel is the most important railway station of Kallkkulam taluk of Kanyakumari district in the Tamil Nadu state of India. The station has two platforms and falls on the Kanyakumari–Thiruvananthapuram line in the Thiruvananthapuram division of the Southern Railway zone. All daily trains passing through the station halts in Eraniel station. The famous Mandaikadu Bagavathi Amman Temple, Colachel Port, I.R.E Industries in Manavalakurichi and Padmanabhapuram Palace are situated nearby the station. The station also is the nearest railhead for two municipalities – Padmanabapuram, Colachel and for 25 villages.
Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division (TVC) or Trivandrum Railway Division(TVC) is one of the six administrative divisions of the Southern Railway, Indian Railways. It has its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala, India. Thiruvananthapuram Division was formed on 2 October 1979 which serves the eight districts of southern part of the Kerala, Kanniyakumari district and some parts of Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu. With 104 stations in its territorial jurisdiction, it is the fourth largest out of six divisions in Southern Railway. It is the southernmost railway division of India and manages 625 km of route track and 108 railway stations in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The major stations of the division are Thiruvananthapuram Central, Ernakulam Junction, Kollam Junction, Thrissur, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Chengannur, Kayamkulam, Aluva, Nagercoil Junction, Kanniyakumari, Alappuzha, Changanasseri, Tiruvalla, Kochuveli, Varkala,Mavelikara,Karunagappally.
Chennai Egmore–Guruvayur Express is one of the express trains of Southern Railway zone in India, which runs between Chennai Egmore in Tamilnadu to Guruvayur in Kerala. This train is the successor the erstwhile Chennai Egmore (MS) - Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) Mixed Express. The Mixed Express stopped running after Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) was closed down for Passenger services in 2000.
The Howrah–Kanyakumari Express is a Superfast inter-city express service connecting Howrah (Kolkata), West Bengal with Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu in India. It runs with highly refurbished LHB coaches designed at ICF, Chennai.
Nagercoil Junction railway station is a railway junction in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The Manamadurai Junction railway station serves the city of Manamadurai in Tamil Nadu. It belongs to Madurai railway division. It is one of the two major railway junctions within the Sivaganga District; The other is Karaikudi Junction which is smaller, as it has three rail branches but a major passenger railhead.
Kollam Junction railway station is a junction station situated in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and largest in terms of number of tracks and one of the oldest railway stations in the state. It is also the second busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of trains handled per day. World's third longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station.
Paravur railway station(Code:PVU) is a railway station in the Indian municipal town of Paravur in Kollam district, Kerala. Paravur railway station falls under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways. It is a 'NSG 5' class railway station coming under the Southern Railway zone.
The Kollam–Sengottai railway line is a railway line in South India which connects Kollam Junction in Kerala state and Sengottai in Tamil Nadu. The Quilon–Shencottah railway line was the first railway line in the erstwhile Travancore state and is more than a century old. The Kollam–Sengottai section is part of the Kollam–Chennai metre-gauge rail route commissioned by the British in 1904. The line has been completely converted to broad gauge and is now fully operational from Kollam Junction to Shengottai.It is the important cargo transportation line connecting Vizhinjam container port and South indian States.
Virudhunagar Junction railway station is a junction railway station serving the town of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, India. The station is a part of the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway zone. It is a major junction in Indian Railways. It enhance connectivity to major stations Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Kollam, Karaikudi, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Trichy. It is the only way to connect Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Sengottai from Chennai otherwise it has to travel around Kerala.
Punalur railway station is the second-largest Railway Station In Kollam District located at Nedumkayam, Punalur on the Kollam–Sengottai branch line. It is the Gateway of Sabarimala. For Sabarimala devotees from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka, SCT–PUU is the easy way. The temples related to Sabarimala like Achankovil, Aryankavu, and Kulathuppuzha are Located near Punalur. The Kollam–Shencottah railway line is the first railway line in erstwhile Travancore state and is more than a century old. The Kollam–Sengottai section is part of the Kollam–Chennai metre-gauge rail route commissioned by the British during 1904. The line which was metre gauge has been completely converted into broad gauge and train services started.
Madurai railway division is a railway division belonging to the Southern Railways (SR), India. Officially created in 1956, it spans over 1,356 km (843 mi) making it the largest railway division of the Southern Railways. Prior to the formation of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division which was carved out of the division, it was one of the largest railway divisions in the whole of the country. Currently it covers up to 12 districts of Tamil Nadu and 1 in Kerala. Its headquarters is in Madurai.
Transport in Kollam includes various modes of road, rail and water transportation in the city and its suburbs. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, private buses, Indian Railways, state-owned Kerala State Water Transport Department boats & ferry, taxis and auto rickshaws are serving the city of Kollam. The city had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Ibn Battuta mentioned Kollam Port as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels.
Kuzhithurai railway station is the second-biggest station in Kanyakumari district. For train transportation the Marthandam is the main hub for Kalkulam and Vilavancode talukas. The Kalkulam and Vilavancode talukas have the population around seven lakes. The Kuzhithurai station is found to be centered between Trivandrum–Kanniyakumari railway route. This railway station collection is more than seven crore per annum and a daily passenger patronage of more than 50,000 people. The station has two platforms and falls on the Kanniyakumari–Trivandrum line in the Trivandrum division of the Southern Railway zone. Most of all daily trains passing through the station halt in Kuzhithurai station
Sengottai railway station is a railway station serving the town of Sengottai in Tamil Nadu, India. Sengottai railway station on the Kollam–Sengottai branch line.
The 20691 / 20692 Tambaram–Nagercoil Antyodaya Express is an express train of the Indian Railways connecting Chennai Tambaram and Nagercoil Junction in Tamil Nadu. It is operated daily from Chennai Tambaram to Nagercoil Junction as train number 20691, and from Nagercoil Junction to Chennai Tambaram as train number 20692.
The Nagercoil–Tirunelveli line connects the cities of Tirunelveli and Nagercoil in the state of Tamilnadu in Southern Railway zone. Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil–Kanyakumari line and Tirunelveli–Nagercoil construction projects were inaugurated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 6 September 1972. The maximum speed of trains running between Tirunelveli to Nagercoil is 100 km per hour.
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