Southern Railway zone

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Southern Railway (SR) is one of the eighteen zones of Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Chennai and operates across the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the union territory of Puducherry. The origin of the Southern Railway can be traced back to the Madras Railway formed in 1845. Southern Railway was created on 14 April 1951 by merging three state railways, namely, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railway and became the first railway zone created in newly formed India. Southern Railway maintains about Template:Convert of railway lines and operates 727 railway stations. It has the distinction of operating the first railway line in India, which opened for traffic from Redhills to Chindadripettai in Madras on 12 September 1836.[1]

History

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File:60The South Indian Railway.jpg
1910 map of South Indian Railway

The history of the Southern Railway can be traced back to the Madras Railway. In 1832, the proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras was made by the British.[2] In 1835, the railway track was constructed between Little Mount and Chintadripet in Madras and became operational in 1837.[3] The Madras Railway was established later in 1845 and the construction on the first main line between Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational in 1856.[4] In 1908, Madras Railway merged with Southern Mahratta Railway to form the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway.[5][6]

In 1944, all the railway companies operating in British India were taken over by the Government.[7] Post Independence, various re-grouping proposals were studied as there were 42 different railway systems. In December 1950, the Central Advisory Committee for Railways approved the plan for Indian Railways into six zonal systems and the Southern Railway zone was created on 14 April 1951 by merging three state railways, namely, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railway.[8]

Organisation

File:Southern Railway HQ.jpg
Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai

Southern Railway zone covers the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and a small portion of Andhra Pradesh.[8] Andaman and Nicobar will form part of the zone once the proposed new railway line between Port Blair and Diglipur becomes operational.[9]

The Southern Railway is headed by the General Manager, assisted by an Additional General Manager. Southern Railway is headquartered in Chennai and is divided into six divisions namely Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem and Thiruvananthapuram.[8]

Name of Division Established Headquarters Comments
Bezawada 6-May-1956 Vijayawada Moved to SCR in 1966 and SCoR in 2019
Madurai 6-May-1956 Madurai
Tiruchirappalli 6-May-1956 Tiruchirappalli
Madras 1-August-1956 Chennai
Palakkad 4-August-1956 Palakkad previously known as Olavacode. Formed by dissolving Podanur Railway Division.
Guntakal 10-October-1956 Guntakal Moved to SCR in 1977 and SCoR in 2019
Mysore 31-October-1956 Mysuru Moved to SWR in 2003
Hubli 31-October-1956 Hubli Moved to SCR in 1966 and SWR in 2003
Bangalore 31-October-1971 Bangalore Moved to SWR in 2003
Thiruvananthapuram 2-October-1979 Thiruvananthapuram
Salem 14-November-2001 Salem

Operations and infrastructure

The zone operates both passenger and freight trains. Various classes of passenger trains including Vande Bharat Express, Shatabdi Express and Tejas Express are operated by Southern Railways.[10] Freight operations include container traffic from the ports, coal bound to the thermal power stations, oil and petroleum products from refineries, cement and food grains. Most of the lines inside ports, thermal stations, manufacturing industries and owned by the respective companies and the zone provides a link connecting to its network along with the wagons and locomotives. The zone has a larger proportion of passenger traffic compared to freight.[11][12] There are about 727 stations on the Southern railway network.[13]

Locomotives

File:Erode.png
A Erode WAP-7 locomotive of Southern Railway
File:NMR 37385 in Delhi 05-02-17 M49.jpeg
A X class locomotive of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Southern Railway utilizes various classes of electric and diesel locomotives to haul the trains. Steam locomotives are used by the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.[14] The zone has three electric locomotive sheds and four diesel locomotive sheds.[15]

Name Location Type Locomotive class Count
Electric Loco Shed, Arakkonam Arakkonam Electric WAP-4, WAG-5, WAG-9 171
Electric Loco Shed, Erode Erode Electric WAP-4, WAP-7, WAG-7 205
Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram Chennai Electric WAP-7 109
Diesel Loco Shed, Ernakulam Ernakulam Diesel WDM-3A, WDG-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-4, WDG-4D 37
Diesel Loco Shed, Erode Erode Diesel WDM-3D, WAP-1, WAP-4, WAG-5, WAG-7 132
Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock Tiruchirappalli Diesel WDM-3A, WDG-3A, WDP-3A, WDM-3D, WDP-4, WDG-4, YDM-4, WDS-6, WDM-7 148
Diesel Loco Shed, Tondiarpet Chennai Diesel WDM-3A, WDG-3A, WDM-7, WDS-6, WDG-4 53
Coonoor Loco Shed, Coonoor Coonoor Steam, Diesel X Class, YDM-4
File:3 Tier AC Coach of Padmavat Express.jpg
A typical LHB coach of Indian Railways

Maintenance and workshops

Southern Railway maintains wagon and locomotive workshops at Perambur, Chennai and Ponmalai, Tiruchirapalli, engineering workshop at Arakkonam, carriage maintenance workshops at Basin Bridge and Egmore and a signal and telecommunication workshop at Podanur, Coimbatore. It has three EMU car sheds in Chennai at Avadi, Tambaram, Velachery and MEMU sheds at Kollam[16] and Palakkad.[17] Southern Railway maintains trip sheds at Basin Bridge, Egmore, Tondiarpet and Jolarpettai.[15] Southern Railway operated ticket printing presses at Royapuram, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, but these have been phased out due to digitization.[18][19]

Railway coaches and wagons

Southern Railways uses both ICF coaches and LHB coaches for its trains. ICF coaches manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai have been used predominantly for over sixty years since the formation of the zone in 1951.[20] The ICF coaches are slowly being replaced by newer LHB rakes which provide better passenger comfort and safety.[21][22]

Railway lines

Following are the list of railway lines operational.[23][24]

Line Start End Type Gauge Electrified No. of Lines Speed limit Length Major stations
Chennai Central-Jolarpettai Chennai Central Jolarpettai Main Broad Yes 2 (4 till Arakkonam) Template:Convert Katpadi
Chennai Central-Renigunta Chennai Central Renigunta Main Broad Yes 2 (4 till Arakkonam) 130km max[25] Template:Convert Arakkonam
Chennai Central-Gudur Chennai Central Gudur Main Broad Yes 2 (4 From Korukkupet to Athipattu ) 130km max[26] Template:Convert Sullurupeta
Jolarpettai–Shoranur Jolarpettai Shoranur Main Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Coimbatore North, Podanur, Palakkad Junction
Shoranur-Mangalore railway line Shoranur Mangalore Main Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert Tirur, Kannur, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Mangaluru Central, Mangaluru Junction
Shoranur-Ernakulam line Shoranur Cochin Harbour Terminus Main Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town
Chennai Egmore-Thoothukudi Chennai Egmore Thoothukudi Main Broad Yes 2 (4 till Tambaram, 3 till Chengalpattu) 130km max work inprogress Template:Convert Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Virudhachalam, Tiruchirappalli, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Vanchi
Tiruchirappalli-Thanjavur Tiruchirappalli Thanjavur Branch Broad Yes 2 110km max Template:Convert
Tiruchirappalli-Erode Tiruchirappalli Erode Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert Karur
Salem-Dindigul Salem Dindigul Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Karur
Madurai-Rameswaram Madurai Rameswaram Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Manamadurai
Tiruchirappalli-Sengottai Tiruchirappalli Sengottai Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Karaikudi, Manamadurai, Virudhunagar
Vanchi Maniyachchi-Tirunelveli Vanchi Maniyachchi Tirunelveli Branch Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert
Tiruchirappalli-Thanjavur Tiruchirappalli Thanjavur Branch Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert
Coimbatore North-Mettupalayam Coimbatore North Mettupalayam Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert
Nilgiri Mountain Railway Mettupalayam Udhagamandalam Branch Metre No 1 Template:Convert Coonoor
Thrissur-Guruvayur line Thrissur Guruvayur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Shoranur -Nilambur line Shoranur Nilambur Road Branch Broad Yes [27] 1 Template:Convert
Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line Ernakulam Junction Kayamkulam Junction Branch Broad Yes 1 ( 2 in Ambalapuzha-Kayamkulam section ) Template:Convert Alappuzha
Ernakulam–Kollam line Ernakulam Junction /
Ernakulam Town 		Kollam Junction Main Broad Yes 2 100 kmph (110kmph in Kayamkulam Jn Kollam Jn) 156 km (97 mi) Kottayam, Chengannur, Kayamkulam Junction
Kollam-Sengottai line Kollam Junction Sengottai Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Punalur
Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram line Kollam Junction Thiruvanathapuram Central Main Broad Yes [28] 2 65 km (40 mi) Kollam, Thiruvanathapuram North(Kochuveli), Thiruvanathapuram Central
Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil–Kanyakumari line Thiruvanathapuram Central Kanniyakumari Branch Broad Yes 1 ( 2 in Nagercoil Junction - Nagercoil Town - Kanyakumari section) Template:Convert Thiruvananthapuram South(Nemom), Nagercoil Junction, Nagercoil Town
Nagercoil - Tirunelveli Nagercoil Junction Tirunelveli Junction Main Broad Yes 2 110km

[29][30]

73 km ( 45.3 mi) Aralvaimozhi, Valliyur, Melappalayam
Tenkasi-Tiruchendur Tenkasi Tiruchendur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Tenkasi-Sengottai Tenkasi Sengottai Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Irugur-Podanur Irugur Podanur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Dindigul-Pollachi Dindigul Pollachi Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Palani
Podanur-Pollachi Podanur Pollachi Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Palakkad–Pollachi line Palakkad Pollachi Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Salem-Mettur Dam Salem Mettur Dam Branch Broad Yes 2 Template:Convert
Salem-Virudhachalam Salem Virudhachalam Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert
Cuddalore-Thanjavur Cuddalore Thanjavur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert Mayiladuthurai
Cuddalore-Virudhachalam Cuddalore Virudhachalam Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Villupuram-Puducherry Villupuram Puducherry Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert
Villupuram-Katpadi Villupuram Katpadi Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert Tiruvannamalai
Thanjavur-Karaikal Thanjavur Karaikal Branch Broad Yes 1 110km max Template:Convert Nagapattinam
Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur Mayiladuthurai Thiruvarur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Arakkonam-Chengalpattu Arakkonam Chengalpattu Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Nagapattinam-Velankanni Nagapattinam Velankanni Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Madurai-Bodinayakkanur Madurai Bodinayakkanur Branch Broad Yes 1 Template:Convert
Thiruvarur-Tiruturaipundi Thiruvarur Tiruturaipundi Branch Broad WIP for Electification 1 Template:Convert
Karaikkudi-Tiruturaipundi Karaikkudi Tiruturaipundi Branch Broad WIP for Electification 1 Template:Convert
Tiruturaipundi-Agastiyampalli Tiruturaipundi Agastiyampalli Branch Broad WIP for Electification 1 Template:Convert
File:5th Vande Bharat Express departing towards Mysuru Jn.jpg
Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat Express
File:Chennai Central D.jpg
Chennai Central, the busiest station of Southern railway

Defunct railway lines include Kundala Valley Railways,[31][32] Kochin Tramways,[33] Madras Tramways,[34] Tiruchendur Light Railway,[35] Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri famine light railways,[36][37] Kodaikanal Light Railway.[38] [39]

Trains

Southern Railways operates 41 sets of express trains and 97 sets of superfast trains. The superfast trains include: Vande Bharat Express (8), Shatabdi Express (2), Garib Rath Express (2), Duronto Express (1), Jan Shatabdi Express (4), Sampark Kranti Express (1), Anuvrat Express (1), Humsafar Express (1), Tejas Express (1), Uday Express (1), Antyodaya Express (2) and Double Decker Express (1). Apart from this, it operates various Passenger trains, DEMU, EMU services, Chennai Suburban and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.[10]

Stations

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". There are about 727 stations on the Southern railway network including 486 non suburban stations, 74 suburban stations and 166 halt stations. The major and highest revenue earning stations are Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore Junction, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Tambaram, Ernakulam Junction, Madurai Junction and Tiruchirappalli .[13]

Chennai Suburban

File:Chennai Rail.png
Chennai suburban map

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Chennai Suburban Railway is the commuter rail system in the city of Chennai, operated by the Southern Railways. The system operates four lines with a track length of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are dedicated dual tracks for EMUs.[40][41]

Line Start End Type Length Stations
North Line Chennai Central Sullurpeta Suburban Template:Convert 30
South Line Chennai Beach Chengalpattu Suburban Template:Convert 50
West Line Chennai Beach Tiruttani Suburban Template:Convert 57
Chennai MRTS Chennai Beach Velachery MRTS Template:Convert 25

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

File:NMR train at Ketti 05-02-26 75.jpeg
Nilgiri Mountain Railway

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Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a Template:Track gauge railway in Nilgiris district connecting Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. It was built during the British Raj in 1908 and is currently operated by the Southern Railways.[42][43] It is the only rack railway in India and operates on its own fleet of steam locomotives between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam.[44] In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Mountain Railways of India.[43]

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Indian Railways Template:Railways in Southern India

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