railroad.wikisort.org - Station

Karaikkudi Junction is one of the major passenger rail head and major junction located in Sivaganga district and serving the towns of karaikudi, Devakottai and Thirupathur in Tamil Nadu.[1]

Karaikkudi Junction
Indian Railways station
General information
Location	Ariyakudi Road, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu India
Coordinates	10.0678°N 78.7924°E / 10.0678; 78.7924
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Southern Railway zone
Line(s)	Thiruvarur–Karaikudi main line Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai
Platforms	5
Tracks	7
Connections	Taxi, Auto rickshaw, Karaikudi transport corporation buses
Construction
Structure type	A–grade
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Status	Functioning
Station code	KKDI
Zone(s)	Southern Railway zone
Division(s)	Madurai
Fare zone	Indian Railways
History
Opened	1 July 1930
Rebuilt	2008; 14 years ago (2008)
Electrified	Yes
Services
Preceding station Indian Railways Following station Kottaiyur towards Tiruchirappalli Junction Southern Railway zone Tiruchirappalli–Manamadurai line Devakottai Road towards Manamadurai Junction
Route map Legend km to Golden Rock to Tiruchirappalli Fort Goods Shed Road 0 Tiruchirappalli Junction NH 83 to Tiruchi Junction rail yard to Dindigul Junction TPJ MDU limits Crawford overpass NH 38 Udayanpatti Road Mayanur Barge Canal Avur Road 13 Kumaramangalam Rasipuram Road 22 Thondaimanallur Viralimala Road NH 336 Killukottai Road 29 Keeranur Odumvampatti Road 30 Kulathur 36 Narthamalai 42 Vellanur overpass SH 71 53 Pudukkottai NH 36 59 Namanasamudram 69 Tirumayam 79 Chettinad 84 Kottaiyur SH 29 to Aranthangi 90 Karaikkudi Junction Thenaaru River 95 Devakottai Road NH 536 Pambar River SH 29 108 Kallal 125 Panangudi 127 Nattrasankottai 132 Sivaganga NH 85 SH 34 142 Melakkonnakkulam NH 36 151 Manamadurai East Vaigai River to Madurai Junction 153 Manamadurai Junction to Aruppukkottai to Rameswaram
Location
Karaikkudi railway station Location in Tamil Nadu

History

The station was constructed as a part of Pudukkottai–Sivaganga railway line during the 1930s.[2] Initially during its older days this station acted as a ordinary railway station when the Tiruturaipundi Aranthangi line was extend till 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,[3] another to Manamadurai Junction[4] and the third and final one towards Thiruthuraipoondi Junction.[5][6][7] 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.[5][8]

It also operates an inland container depot (railway goods shed) at Chettinad railway station.[9] 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 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.

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.[5] Few trains namely Ajmer Rameswaram Humsafar Express and Sharddha Sethu Super fast 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.

• BG single line towards Thiruvarur Junction – main line via Aranthangi, Pattukkottai, Thiruthuraipoondi Junction
• BG single line towards Tiruchirappalli Junction via Pudukkottai
• BG single line towards Manamadurai Junction via Sivaganga

New rail line proposal

Madurai–Melur–Tirupattur–Karaikudi new BG line: As sanctioned by Railway Board in the year 2007–08, survey was taken & the report was submitted to Railway Board on 29/07/2008. Then updating survey was sanctioned in the year 2013–14 and the survey report was submitted to Railway Board on 27/11/2014. Railway Board has shelved the proposal at present. Decision of Railway Board is awaited.

References

---