Karaikkudi Junction
Indian Railways station
General information
LocationAriyakudi Road, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
India
Coordinates10°04′04″N 78°47′33″E / 10.0678°N 78.7924°E / 10.0678; 78.7924
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated bySouthern Railway zone
Line(s)Thiruvarur–Karaikudi, Tiruchirappalli–Karaikudi, Karaikudi-Manamadurai
Platforms5
Tracks8
ConnectionsTaxi, Auto rickshaw, town buses are available
Construction
Structure typeA–grade, Category NSG4
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Other information
StatusFunctioning
Station codeKKDI
Zone(s) Southern Railway zone
Division(s) Madurai
Fare zoneIndian Railways
History
Opened1 July 1930
Rebuilt2008; 16 years ago (2008)
ElectrifiedYes
Services
Preceding station Indian Railways Following station
Kottaiyur
towards Tiruchirappalli Junction
 Southern Railway zone Devakottai Road
towards Manamadurai Junction
Preceding station Indian Railways Following station
Kandanur Puduvayal
towards Thiruvarur Junction
 Southern Railway zone Devakottai Road
towards Manamadurai Junction
Location
Karaikkudi railway station is located in Tamil Nadu
Karaikkudi railway station
Karaikkudi railway station
Location in Tamil Nadu##Location in India
Map
Interactive map

Karaikkudi Junction (station code: KKDI) is an NSG–4 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone.[1] It is one of the major passenger rail head and major junction located in Sivaganga district and serving Karaikudi Municipal Corporation and surrounding places.[2]

Karaikudi Junction Railway Station Entrance

History

Karaikudi station was constructed as a part of Pudukkottai–Sivaganga railway line during the 1930s.[3] Initially during its older days this station acted as an ordinary railway station when the Tiruturaipundi Aranthangi line was extended to Karaikudi, it became a junction railway station. It became as a junction by connecting all the three terminal lines they are Manamadurai Sivagangai Railway line, Trichinopoly Pudukkottai Railway line and Tiruturaipundi Aranthangi Railway line. Being a junction station, three rail lines emerge from the station, one towards Tiruchirappalli Junction, another to Thiruthuraipoondi junction and the third and final one Manamadurai Junction.

Overview

Being a Junction station, three rail lines emerge from the station, one towards Tiruchirappalli Junction,[4] another to Manamadurai Junction[5] and the third and final one towards Thiruthuraipoondi Junction.[6][7][8] It is one of the two Junctions present in Sivagangai District. One is Manamadurai Junction and the other is Karaikudi Junction.

Administration

It falls under the operational limits of Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway zone and it is a major as well as an important passing station present on the Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai railway line.[6][9]

It also operates an inland container depot (railway goods shed) at Chettinad railway station.[10] Due to lack of land availability and due to the operation of Meter Gauge Goods Terminal at Karaikudi Junction, the railway goods shed is constructed at Chettinad railway station at Kanadukathan which is very near to Karaikudi. But now the Meter Gauge Goods terminal is not in use since all the meter gauge lines were converted into broad gauge lines. But still the meter gauge goods terminal isn't dismantled from the junction.

The Thiruvarur–Karaikudi railway line falls under Tiruchirappalli railway division and all other railway lines fall under Madurai railway division.

Assistant Divisional Engineer Head Office for North East area of Madurai Division is located at Karaikudi Junction. Whose sub offices were located at Pudukkottai, Sivagangai and Mandapam. A railway running room facility is available for loco pilots which is necessary for them to take rest after their duty.

Suburban stations

Services

Karaikudi is well connected with the capital city Chennai. Most of the trains bound to Chennai, Manamadurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari from Tiruchirappalli pass through this station, with every train having a stoppage here for a minimum of 5–10 minutes.[6] Only Firozpur Rameswaram Humsafar Express skips this Junction. This railway junction act as a source station for Pallavan superfast express, Tiruchirappalli-Karaikudi-Tiruchirappalli DEMU and Tiruvarur-Karaikudi-Tiruvarur DEMU as these train originates and terminates at this Junction.

Retairing Room with one Non-AC Double Bed Room Facility is available within this Junction as passenger amenities but it can be booked only through Railway Junction Ticket Counter Facility only. Apart from that, General waiting hall, First Class passenger waiting hall, Platform Tea stalls are also available in this Junction.

New rail line proposal

Below projects are surveyed and waiting for funds since long time.[11]

Madurai–Melur–Tirupattur–Karaikudi new BG line: Reconnaissance Engineering cum Traffic Survey for a new BG line between Karaikkudi and Madurai via Melur and Thirupattur (85.70 km) was conducted and Survey Report was sent to Railway Board on 27.11.2014. This project was shelved by Railway Board.

Karaikudi-Natham-Dindigul new BG line: Reconnaissance Engineering cum Traffic Survey for a new BG line between Karaikkudi and Dindigul via Thirupattur and Natham (105.60 km) was conducted and Survey Report was sent to Railway Board on 06.07.2015. This project was shelved by Railway Board.

Karaikudi-Devakottai-Ramanathapuram-Tuticorin new BG line: Reconnaissance Engineering cum Traffic Survey for a new BG line between Karaikkudi and Tuticorin via Devakkottai and Ramanathapuram (214.81 km) was conducted and Survey Report was sent to Railway Board on 30.08.2011. This project was shelved by Railway Board.

References

  1. ^ "SOUTHERN RAILWAY LIST OF STATIONS AS ON 01.04.2023 (CATEGORY- WISE)" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. Centre For Railway Information Systems. 1 April 2023. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Madurai Division System Map" (PDF). Southern Railway. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Imperial gazette of India 1909".
  4. ^ "Broad gauge line inauguration today". The Hindu. 19 May 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  5. ^ R. Rajaram (14 July 2011). "Karaikudi–Tiruvarur section inspected". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Nod for rail traffic between Karaikudi and Manamadurai". The Hindu. Chennai. 26 June 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Virudhunagar-Manamadurai BG track to be ready by April". The Hindu. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. ^ S. Chidambaram (7 September 2013). "Virudhunagar-Karaikudi passenger service to begin today". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Karaikudi and Manaparai stations to get ATMs soon". The Hindu. 3 January 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  10. ^ Rajaram, R. (9 April 2020). "Amid lockdown, Tiruchi Railway Division moves over 3 lakh metric tonnes of freight". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  11. ^ https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1399881183201-Progress_of_Surveys.pdf [bare URL PDF]
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