Kollam Junction railway station

Kollam Junction കൊല്ലം ജംഗ്ഷന്‍
Junction station
From Top: Entrance of Kollam Junction Railway Station, A MEMU train at Kollam railway station, Foot over bridge, Name board of the station, Kollam MEMU Shed building
Location	Kollam, Kollam District, Kerala India
Coordinates	8°53′10″N 76°35′42″E / 8.8860°N 76.5951°E / 8.8860; 76.5951Coordinates: 8°53′10″N 76°35′42″E / 8.8860°N 76.5951°E / 8.8860; 76.5951
Elevation	6.74 metres (22.1 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Southern Railway zone
Line(s)	Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kollam Junction-Kayamkulam Junction, Kollam–Sengottai
Platforms	6
Tracks	17
Connections	Taxi Stand, Pre-paid Auto service
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on ground station)
Parking	Available
Bicycle facilities	Available
Disabled access
Other information
Status	Functioning
Station code	QLN
Zone(s)	Southern Railway zone
Division(s)	Thiruvananthapuram
History
Opened	1904 (1904)
Electrified	25 kV AC 50 Hz

Kollam Junction Railway Station (station code: QLN) 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, after Shoranur Junction, and is one of the oldest railway stations in Kerala. Kollam station also boasts a record of having stops for all trains passing through the station. It is the third busiest railway station in Kerala. The world's second longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station.^[1][2][3]

Trains from here connect the city of Kollam to major cities of India, including New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Indore, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Madurai, Vizag, Jammu, Howrah, Guwahati, Madgaon, Itarsi, Hubli, Ahmedabad, Kanyakumari, Gwalior, Nagpur, Pune, Kota, Bhubaneshwar, Gorakhpur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Amritsar, Vijayawada, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Nizamabad and Mangalore.

History

Kollam railway station in 1905

Kollam was the fifth city in Kerala that had a connection with Indian Railway. The first idea of a rail link from Tirunelveli to Kollam which was the trading capital of the Travancore Kingdom was conceived in 1873. The line was sanctioned by the Madras Presidency in 1899 and the survey was completed in 1900. The railway line was built jointly by South Indian railway, Travancore state and Madras Presidency. The Kollam (formerly Quilon) railway station was built in 1904 by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, Maharaja of Travancore. It was the ruler’s desire to create a rail link between Kollam, the then commercial capital of his State and Madras.^[4] The meter gauge line from Kollam to Punalur was inaugurated on 1 June 1904. The Kollam-Sengottai railway line was inaugurated on 26 November 1904. The meter gauge line was later extended to Chala at Trivandrum via Paravur and Varkala and inaugurated on 4 January 1918.^[5] The meter gauge railway line from Kollam was extended to Ernakulam via Kottayam in 6 January 1958. The meter gauge lines between Kollam and Ernakulam were converted into broad gauge in 1975 and inaugurated on 13 September 1976. The broad gauge conversion between Punalur and Kollam section was inaugurated on 12 May 2010.

There was a 2.4 km meter gauge line connecting Quilon Junction and Ashramam Maidan. During the inauguration of the Kollam-Punalur meter gauge line in 1904, parts of locomotives which were to be used for Quilon-Schencottah line were shipped to Quilon Port from Tuticorin Port. They were assembled at the Ashramam Maidan which was an open ground. The line was laid to carry these locomotives to the main station. The line was dismantled in 2000 for town expansion.

Layout

There are a total of 17 tracks in the Kollam railway station, 2 lines are passing through the MEMU shed. The station has 6 platforms for handling long distance, passenger, MEMU & goods trains. The platform 1 is divided into two sections. Platform 1A handles the trains to Punalur-Sengottai line and platform 1 handles trains towards Trivandrum Central. The platform 1 and 1A together have a length of 1,180.5 m making them together the second longest railway platform in India.^[6][7] The station has a MEMU shed which is situated near to Platform 1A. An FCI godown owned and operated by Food Corporation of India is also situated near Kollam junction.

Railways in Kerala cities
Cities & connected years 1861 - Kozhikode 1898 - Palakkad 1902 - Kochi 1902 - Thrissur 1904 - Kollam 1907 - Kannur 1907 - Kasargod 1918 - Thiruvananthapuram 1958 - Kottayam 1989 - Alappuzha
Railway lines Kundala Valley Railway Kollam–Sengottai branch line Ernakulam-Kayamkulam coastal railway line Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section Jolarpettai–Shoranur line Shoranur–Mangalore section Guruvayur–Thrissur spur line Nilambur–Shoranur railway line

Main foot overbridge in Kollam Railway Station

An evening view of Kollam railway station and Kollam MEMU Shed

Platform No.1&2 of Kollam Junction Railway Station

12695 Chennai-Trivandrum SF arriving at Platform No.1 in Kollam Junction Railway Station

MEMU Shed Office, Kollam: The biggest MEMU Shed of Kerala is situated in Kollam

Goods transferring in Kollam Railway Station

Eastern end of the second longest railway platform in India, situated at Kollam Junction railway station. This is the World's second longest railway platform

Location

Surrounding transport hubs:^[8]

• Nearest Bus Stations: Andamukkam City Bus Stand (1.2 km) & Kollam KSRTC Bus Station (2 km)
• Nearest Sea Port: Kollam Port (3 km)
• Nearest Airport: Trivandrum International Airport (67 km)

Services

Passing Express trains

Some of the major trains passing through the station.

Originating trains

MEMU Shed

A MEMU train at Kollam Junction Railway Station

Kollam MEMU Carshed is constructed at a cost of 40.68 crore (US$6.5 million), for Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) rakes. It was formally commissioned on 1 December 2013, five years after its completion.^[9] Now the railways is operating 3 pair of Kollam-Ernakulam (via Alappuzha and Kottayam)^[10] via both the routes and a Kollam-Kanyakumari^[11] (via Trivandrum, Nagercoil) services from Kollam. Kollam MEMU Shed is the largest MEMU Shed in Kerala, which is equipped with most modern facilities.

Future

DEMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) service would be launched in Kollam-Punalur section soon.^[12] A new passenger train connecting Punalur and Kanyakumari is also proposed in the budget, which will pass through the station.^[13] Foundation stone was laid for a new terminal at Kollam railway station, facing National Highway-744. Also the modernization works of the station like works for lifts, escalators etc. have been initiated in the railway station but not yet completed.

Suburban railway stations

• Paravur
• Karunagappally
• Kundara
• Eravipuram
• Mayyanad
• Perinad
• Munroturuttu
• Sasthamkotta
• Kilikollur
• Chandanathoppe

See also

• Kollam MEMU Shed
• Paravur
• Punalur
• Thiruvananthapuram railway division
• Kollam-Sengottai railway line
• Railway platform
• Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas contributions to the Indian railways

References

External links

Media related to Kollam Junction railway station at Wikimedia Commons

Railway Stations in Kollam District Kollam Junction-Thiruvananthapuram Central Section Kollam Junction Eravipuram Mayyanad Paravur Kollam Junction–Kayamkulam Junction Section Kollam Junction Perinad Munroturuttu Sasthamkotta Karunagappally Ochira Kollam Junction–Punalur Section Kollam Junction Kilikollur Chandanattop Kundara Ezhukone Kottarakara Kuri Punalur

Kollam/Quilon History Mar Sapir Iso Chera dynasty Ibn Battuta Kollam Port Nelcynda Kollavarsham (Kollam Era) Tharisapalli plates Venad Rajashekhara Varman Rama Varma of Venad Paravur Travancore Kingdom of Travancore Velu Thampi Dalawa Cantonment Maidan Tangasseri Zheng He Portuguese Empire Dutch Malabar 4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502) Portuguese Cemetery Buckingham Canal Infant Jesus Cathedral St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri Kollam Cantonment Battle of Quilon Christianity in India Christianity in Kerala Saint Thomas Christian churches Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon Kollam Airport C. P. Ramaswami Iyer Geography Ashtamudi Lake Asramam Maidan Kollam Beach Islands of Kollam Estuaries of Paravur Sasthamcotta Lake Thirumullavaram Ithikkara River Paravur Lake Pozhikara Thekkumbhagam-Kappil Beach Kallada River Zones Central Zone-I Central Zone-II Sakthikulangara Kilikollur Vadakkevila Eravipuram Neighbourhoods Andamukkam Asramam Ayathil Cantonment Chamakada Chandanathoppe Chathinamkulam Chinnakada Cutchery Eravipuram Kadappakada Kavanad Kilikollur Kochupilamoodu Koottikkada Kureepuzha Maruthadi Mathilil Mevaram Mulamkadakam Mundakkal Pallithottam Pattathanam Polayathode Pullikada Punthalathazham Ramankulangara Sakthikulangara Tangasseri Thamarakulam Thattamala Thevally Thirumullavaram Thoppilkadavu Uliyakovil Vadakkevila Valathungal Administration & Authorities Kollam Municipal Corporation Kollam Development Authority Kollam City Police Organizations Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd.(KMML) Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited Kollam Techno-lodges Kollam Technopark Parvathy Mills Limited United Electrical Industries Limited(UNILEC) Transport Road Andamukkam City Bus Stand Kollam KSRTC Bus Station National Highway-66 National Highway-183 National Highway-744 National Highway-183A Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation Kollam Bypass Asramam Link Road Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road Residency Road Railway Stations Kollam Junction Eravipuram Kilikollur Chandanattop Lines Kollam–Sengottai branch line Sheds & Maintenance Yards Kollam MEMU Shed Air Kerala Seaplane Kollam Airport(defunct) Water Kollam Port Kollam KSWTD Boat Jetty Kollam Canal National Waterway-3 Visitor Attractions Asramam Adventure Park & Picnic Village British Residency Asramam Children's Park Chinnakada Clock Tower Islands of Kollam Estuaries of Paravur Kollam Beach Mahatma Gandhi Park Mundakkal Beach Portuguese Cemetery Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum St Thomas Fort Tangasseri Lighthouse Thirumullavaram Beach Buildings & Structures Cashew House Cheena Kottaram Crowther Masonic Hall Kovilthottam Lighthouse SMP Palace Tangasseri Lighthouse Thevally Palace Shopping centres Downtown Kollam RP Mall Culture Kollam Pooram President's Trophy Boat Race Kollam Kite Club Healthcare Azeezia Medical College Employee's State Insurance Corporation Medical College Hospital Travancore Medicity Medical College N. S. Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences Education Bishop Jerome Institute College of Engineering, Perumon College of Engineering, Karunagapally Fatima Matha National College Govt. ITI, Chandanathope Mannam Memorial NSS College, Kottiyam Sree Narayana College, Kollam Sree Narayana Guru College of Legal Studies SN Polytechnic, Kottiyam TKM College of Engineering TKM Institute of Technology Younus College of Engineering & Technology Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School Sports & Stadiums Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam International Hockey Stadium, Asramam Places of worship Asramam Sree Krishna Swamy Temple Paravur Puttingal Devi Temple Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple Ammachiveedu Devi Temple Infant Jesus Cathedral St Antony's Church, Kanjiracode St Andrew's Church, Kovilthottam St Elijah Orthodox Syrian Church, Koduvila Kolloorvila Juma Masjid Other topics Kollam Metropolitan Area Economy of Kollam Cashew business in Kollam List of Kollam District Schools