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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 Thiruvananthapuram through Shencottah in the Chittar mountain area, and from Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram, --- the balance of opinion was in favour of the Northern route, 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 Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram. 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 Thiruvananthapuram 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. In 1913, the Secretary of State for India sanctioned the extension of railway line from Quilon to Thiruvananthapuram beach (present Pettai Station) and it was opened for traffic on 1 January 1918. In 1926 the extension of this line from Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram. At that point, when the work of extension of the railway line from Quilon to Thiruvananthapuram was taken up, there was no proposal or plan to extend it to Nagercoil.
Travancore Government objected
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.
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-Thiruvananthapuram
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.
Project in Parliament
11-12-1952 Shri Abdul Razak
21-02-1953 Shri Abdul Razak
03-03-1953 Shri Tangmani
23-09-1958 Shri P. Thanulinga Nadar
Route
1979 Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-71.05 km opened on 16 April 1979
1979 Nagercoil -Kanniyakumari-15.51 km opened on 16 April 1979
1979 Thiruvananthapuram division of SR created on 2 October 1979
1981 Nagercoil-Tirunelveli-73.29 km opened on 2 April 1981
1986 Tirunelveli- Milavittan (Tuticorin) parallel new BG line51 km opened May 1986
1988 July 8 Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Island Express derails and plunges into Ashtamudi lake near Kollam, Kerala, killing 107. It is said that a freak tornado was the cause.
1993 Dindigul-Madurai Parallel B.G-64.32 km OPENED ON 14 April 1993
1993 Madurai-Virudunagar BG 40 km opened in June 1993
1993 Virudunagar-Maniyachchi 27 km opened on 21 October 1993
1993 Milavittan-Tuticorin −7.00 km opened on 21 October 1993
1995 May 14: 52 killed as Madras-Kanyakumari Exp. collides with goods train near Salem.
1999 Tiruchchirappalli-dindigul-93.00 km opened on 6 January 1999
2009 Dindigul-Madurai 65.35 km second BG line (earlier MG alignment) opened for traffic on 31 July 2009
2012 Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari electrified line opened for passenger traffic.
2013 Nagercoil Tirunelveli electrified line commissioned (with goods traffic)
Transfer Division
The Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari railway line was opened on 15 April 1979, and was then under Madurai Division. Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram Division. Thus, the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari BG line, and the under-construction Tirunelveli-Nagercoil BG line were transferred to Thiruvananthapuram 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.
Projects
Terminal Development
Doubling
Kanniyakumari – Thiruvananthapuram=87 K.M
First Survey = 2005–06
First Survey ROR =0.77%
Survey cost =526 core
Second Survey = 2013–14
Second Survey ROR=7.03%
Survey cost = 617 core
Announce Year = 2015–16
NITI Aayog Approval = 26-04-2017
Cabinet Approval= 02-08-2017
Foundation stone = 23-01-2018
Execution of the project = Southern Railway, Construction wing
1988 Initially Island Express was running from Bangalore-to Kochi.- Subsequently, extended to Thiruvananthapuram. This train was extended- to Nagercoil from 1 November 1988 and to Kanniyakumari from 1 July 1992.
1992 Bangalore – Nagercoil Island Express to Kanyakumari
1992 Extension of Gandhidham – Thiruvananthapuram weekly express to Nagercoil
21.10.1993 Madras Central – Kanyakumari Exp
1994 Nagercoil – Guruvayur Exp
1995 Nagercoil – Bombay Exp (weekly) 6340/39
1996 Nagercoil-Mumbai CST Express from weekly to tri-weekly.
1998 Mumbai-Nagercoil Express 6339/6340 from 3 days to 4 days a week
1998 Nagercoil-Gandhidham Express (weekly)6335/6336 diverted via the Konkan Railway
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