Southern Railway zone

Coordinates: 13°04′57″N 80°16′37″E / 13.08240°N 80.27705°E / 13.08240; 80.27705

Southern Railway
தென்னக ரயில்வே
ദക്ഷിണ റെയിൽവേ

Southern Railway-7
Southern Railway headquarters, Chennai
Locale	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry
Dates of operation	1951–
Predecessor	South Indian Railway, Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, Mysore State Railway
Track gauge	Broad gauge and Meter gauge
Electrification	Yes
Length	6,844 kilometres (4,253 mi)[1]
Headquarters	Chennai Central
Website	SR official website

The Southern Railway, headquartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is one of the 16 zones of Indian Railways. It is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It 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. The South Indian Railway was originally created in the British colonial times as Great Southern India Railway Co. founded in Britain in 1853 and registered in 1859. Its original headquarters was in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) and was registered as a company in London only in 1890.^[2]

Southern Railway Divisions

Southern Railway has its headquarters in Chennai and has the following six divisions:

1. Chennai
2. Madurai
3. Tiruchirappalli
4. Salem
5. Palakkad
6. Thiruvananthapuram

It covers the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and small portions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. More than 500 million passengers travel on the network every year. This zone of the Indian Railways differs from the other zones of India in that its revenue is derived from passengers and not from freight.^[3]

Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Ernakulam Junction, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Coimbatore Junction, Kozhikode, Thrissur and Madurai Junction are the A1 graded stations under Southern Railway Division. These are the busiest and most revenue-generating stations. Ernakulam Town, Erode Junction, Tirunelveli Junction, Aluva, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Shoranur Junction, Salem Junction, Kollam Junction, Palakkad Junction, Katpadi Junction, Mangalore Junction and Kayamkulam Junction are some of the other major stations. Many of the major stations are being upgraded to world-class standards.

Organization Structure

The Southern Railway is headed by the General Manager(HAG+) Officer,assisted by an Additional General Manager(HAG).Each department is headed by a PHOD\CHOD of the rank of HAG\SAG.

History

In 1944, all Railway companies were taken over by the Government. And three years later, when India woke up to independence in 1947, the stage was set for the integration of different Railways into smaller zones. In 1948, immediately after independence, there were as many as 42 different railway systems - a multiplicity of railway administrations, varying in size and standards.

The regrouping proposals put forward by the various committees were studied in great detail to ensure that a unification could be achieved with the least disturbance and dislocation. Important associations of railway-users, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the State Governments and acknowledged experts both in India and abroad were fully consulted.

Shri N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar - the then Minister for Railways, was the principal architect of the regrouping of Indian Railways. In December 1950, the Central Advisory Committee for Railways approved the plan for Indian Railways into six Zonal systems, namely, the Northern, the North-Eastern, the Southern, the Central, the Eastern and the Western.

The Southern Railway zone (9,654 route km) was the first zone to be formed.^[4] Created on April 14 1951 by the merger of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway and the Mysore State Railway, the economic and geographical factors of this zone facilitated an early integrated network. This amalgamation was a major step towards streamlining and organizing the working pattern of the Railway system.

Shri. K.R. Ramanujam was appointed the first General Manager of the newly formed Southern Railway.

Timeline and key events

• 1845 Madras Railway Company was launched.
• 1853 Madras Railway Company, registered in Chennai (Royapuram) began work.
• 1856 First passenger rail service began in Royapuram - Walaja Road route. Perambur loco workshop set up in Vaughan.
• 1857: Walaja road - Cuddalore route was proposed via : Katpadi, Tiruvannamalai, Tirukovilur.
• 1861: Beypore - Tirur (Kozhikode) route commissioned . Great Southern Railway of India Tiruchirappalli - Nagapattinam (broad gauge) up to 125 km from the gauge set. Walaja road - Cuddalore route was came to existence via : Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram.
• 1862: Madras Railway Company's Tram way for local transport established in Chennai.
• 1864: Jolarpettai - Bengaluru mail began service.
• 1868: Service began in Nagapattinam - Tiruchirappalli.
• 1874: Great Southern Railway of India(SIR) renamed to South Indian Railway
• 1875: Nagapattinam - Tiruchirappalli conversion to meter gauge.
• 1879: Meter gauge line between Puducherry and Viluppuram formed according to an agreement between French Government and the British Government.
• 1891: Nilgiri mountain railway was commissioned.
• 1898: Mettupalayam(Coimbatore) - Coonoor service of Nilgiri mountain railway began. Olavakkode - Palakkad line constructed.
• 1898: Meter gauge line between Karaikal and Peralam formed according to an agreement between French Government and the British Government
• 1899: Chennai - Vijayawada passenger service began. Boat Mail from Chennai to Ceylon, with passenger ship with a connecting service between danushkodi(rameshwaram) and Ceylon started.
• 1902: Ernakulam - Shoranur path was set up.
• 1904: Kollam - Sengottai line was constructed.
• 1907: Mangaluru - Kozhikode line was constructed.
• 1908: Chennai Egmore railway station was built.
• 1918: Kollam - Thiruvananthapuram line was built.
• 1927: Shoranur - Nilambur line constructed.
• 1929: Chennai suburban railway service began.
• 1931: Chennai Beach to Tambaram meter gauge electric train service started.
• 1934: Ernakulam - Shoranur gauge conversion.
• 1951: Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railwa were united to form a new zone of the Southern Railway.
• 24-12-1952 Ernakulam - Kollam MG line - turning of first sod by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India
• 16-05-1956 Formation of Divisions in Southern Railway
• 23-08-1957 Opening of Renigunta - Gudur broad gauge section
• 00-01-1958 Opening of Ernakulam - Kollam metre gauge line
• 00-00-1958 Establishment of S & T workshop Podanur
• 00-01-1965 Conversion of DC 1500 V electrified system to 25 KV AC system from Chennai Beach to Tambaram
• 02-10-1966 Creation of South-Central Railway and handing over of Bezwada, GuntaKal and Hubli Divisions to SC Railway
• 23-11-1975 Broadguage converation of Ernakulam - Kollam MG section
• 13-09-1976 Inauguration of Thiruvananthapuram - Ernakulam BG section via Kottayam
• 00-00-1976 Tamil Nadu Express from New Delhi - Chennai Central started its operation.
• 15-07-1977 A train woke up the people of Madurai early in the morning. It was on that day at 6 a.m. sharp that train no.135 down Vaigai Express began its inaugural journey from Madurai to Madras Egmore, with 16 yellow and green livery coaches and a matching YDM4 diesel loco, average Speed Of 70 Kmph was recorded.
• 13-04-1979 Electrification of Chennai - Gummidipundi section
• 20-05-1979 Inauguration of Mangaluru - Hassan MG line
• 09-08-1979 Electrification-of Chennai Beach - Korukkupet - Madras Central
• 02-10-1979 Creation of Thiruvananthapuram Division
• 29-11-1979 Electrification Chennai - Trivellore section
• 27-07-1981 Creation of Bengaluru Division
• 03-09-1982 Electrification of Tiruvallur - Arakkonam section
• 11-08-1984 Electrified train services Between Chennai - Katpadi
• 00-00-1984 Vaigai Express was bifurcated into Vaigai and Pallavan Express.
• 00-00-1985 Phasing out BG Steam locomotives
• 14-04-1987 Inauguration of EMU service chennai - Avadi
• 25-07-1987 First solid state interlocking in Indian Railways at Srirangam Station
• 02-10-1987 Introduction of Computerized Passenger Reservation
• 06-08-1988 Inauguration of Karur - Dindigul BG line
• 15-10-1989 Opening of Ernakulam – Alappuzha BG line
• 16-09-1991 Inauguration of MRTS project between Madras Beach - Park Town
• 01-11-1992 Introduction of first Rajdhani Express in Southern Railway between Bengaluru - Nizamuddin
• 20-11-1992 Inauguration of Alappuzha - Kayamkulam BG line
• 00-03-1992 Electrification of Jolarpettai - Bangalore section
• 16-04-1993 Opening of Bangalore - Mysuru BG line
• 21-10-1993 Inauguration of Karur - Dindigul - Madurai - Thoothukudi BG project
• 09-05-1994 Introduction of first Shatabdi Express between Chennai – Mysuru
• 31-08-1994 Inauguration of Chickjajur - Chitradrug - Rayadrug BG line
• 02-04-1995 Inauguration of Chennai Beach- Tambaram BG line
• 11-01-1997 Opening of Salem - Bengaluru BG line
• 19-10-1997 Inauguration of MRTS project between Madras Beach - Thirumayilai
• 22-08-1998 Inauguration of Tambaram - Tiruchirappalli(chord line) and Tiruchirapalli - Thanjavur opened after gauge conversion.
• 06-01-1999 Opening of Tiruchirappalli - Dindigul BG line
• 15-06-1999 Centenary Celebrations of Nilgiri Mountain Railway
• 23-07-2000 Inauguration of Electric traction between Thrissur-Ernakulam
• 13-10-2000 Opening of 100th Computerised Passenger Reservation Centre at Kovilpatti
• 30-10-2000 Commissioning of optical fibre communication link between Villupuram-Trichy
• 22-11-2000 Inauguration of new BG line between Penukonda and Puttaparthi
• 2002: Southern Railway, Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions separated to form the South Western Railway. Ernakulam, Thrissur electrified.
• 2004: Flying train of MRTS started service from Mylapore to Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai .
• 2005: The Nilgiri Mountain train declared as one of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
• 2006: Villupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) gauge conversions started.
• 2007: First movement on Pamban bridge after broad gauge conversion.
• 2010: Villupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) services started.
• 2011: Sengottai - Punalur gauge conversion began.
• 2011: Madurai - Bodinayakkanur gauge conversion began.
• 2012: Thiruvarur - Pattukottai gauge conversion began.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway working under Southern Railway zone, Chennai . and also it is UNESCO World Heritage site

Trains of Southern Railway

• Tamil Nadu Express (12621/22)
• Grand Trunk Express (12615/16)
• Kerala Express (12625/26)
• Mangala Lakshadweep Express (12617/18)
• Chennai Central Hazrat Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express
• Bangalore Chennai Shatabdi Express
• Chennai Central Mysuru Shatabdi Express
• Chennai Coimbatore Shatabdi Express
• Kozhikode-Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express (12075/76)
• Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur Jan Shatabdi Express (12081/82)
• Coimbatore Jan Shatabdi Express (12083/84)
• Brindavan Express (12639/40)
• Netravati Express(16345/46)
• Ganga Kaveri Express (16669/70)
• Lalbagh Express (12607/08)
• Kanyakumari Express (12633/34)
• Nellai Sf Express (12631/32)
• Amrita Express(16343/44)
• Pandian Sf Express (12637/38)
• Pearl City Sf Express (12693/94)
• Rockfort Express (16177/78)
• Himsagar Express(16317/18)
• Navyug Express (16687/88)
• Thirukural Express(12641/42)
• Venad Express(16301/02)
• Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Express (12651/52)
• Andaman Express (16031/32)
• Ananthapuri Express (16573/74)
• Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai superfast mail (12623/24)
• Mangaluru Mail (12601/02)
• West Coast Express (222637/38)
• Chennai Mangaluru Sf Express (12685/86)
• Chennai Thiruvananthapuram Superfast Express (12695/96)
• Alappuzha-Chennai superfast express (22639/40)
• Mumbai-Kanyakumari Jayanti Janata Express (16381/82)
• Nilgiri Express (12671/72)
• Cheran Express(12673/74)
• Thiruvananthapuram-Nilambur Rajya Rani Express(16349/50)
• Kovai Express (12675/76)
• Chennai Coimbatore Intercity Express (12679/80)
• Pallavan Express (12605/06)
• Tiruchirappalli – Tirunelveli Intercity Express (22627/28)
• Alappuzha-Kannur Intercity Express(16307/08)
• Vaigai Express (12635/36)
• Ernakulam-Bengaluru Intercity Express (12677/78)
• Kongu Express (12647/48)
• Uzhavan Express (16183/16184)
• Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore Express
• Rajkot Express (16613/14)
• Nagercoil Express (16609/10)
• Maveli Express(16603/04)
• Vanchinad Express (16303/04)
• Pothigai Sf Express (12661/62)
• Boatmail Express (16101/02)
• Malabar Express (16629/30)
• Chendur Express (16735/16736)
• Sethu Express (16713/14)
• Pallavan Express (12605/06)
• Yercaud Express(22649/50)
• Yelagiri express (16089/16090)
• Parasuram Express (16349/16350)
• Ernad Express(16605/16606)
• Tea Garden Express (16187/16188)
• Mannai Express (16179/80)
• Karaikal Express (16175/76)
• Cholan Express (16853/54)
• Chemmozhi Express (16615/16)
• Pamani Express (17407/08)
• Rameswaram Okha Express (16733/16734)
• Puducherry Mangaluru Express (16855/56/57/58)
• Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Super AC Express (22207/08)
• Salem Express (11063/64)
• Chennai Egmore – Mangaluru Central Express (16859/60)

The Rajdhani Express trains (from Delhi to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram) and the Kochi-Delhi Duronto Express are operated by Northern Railway while the Kochi-Mumbai Duronto Express is run by Central Railway.

Ongoing Railway Projects

New Line

Gauge Conversion

Doubling

List of surveys done since Independence

Units of Southern Railway

Southern Railway has many factories & sheds:

• Mechanical Workshps
  • Carriage, Wagon and Loco Works, Perambur, Chennai
  • Central Workshop, Ponmalai, Tiruchirapalli
• Electrical & Communication
  • Southern Railway Signal & Telecom Workshop, Podanur, Coimbatore
• Sheds
  • Locomotive Sheds
    • Diesel
      • Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock, Tiruchirapalli
      • Diesel Loco Shed, Tondiarpet, Chennai
      • Diesel Loco Shed, Erode
      • Diesel Loco Shed, Kochi
    • Electrical
      • Electrical Loco Shed, Arakkonam
      • Electrical Loco Shed, Erode
      • Electrical Loco Shed, Royapuram, Chennai
      • Electrical Loco Shed, Kochi
    • Steam Loco Shed
      • Coonoor, The Nilgiris
  • MEMU Car Shed
    • MEMU Car Shed, Kollam
    • MEMU Car Shed, Palakkad
  • EMU Car Shed
    • EMU Car Shed, Chennai
    • EMU Car Shed, Kochi
  • BG Coaching Maintenance Depots
    • Basin Bridge, Chennai
    • Egmore, Chennai
    • Madurai
    • Salem
    • Erode
    • Coimbatore
    • Mettupalayam
    • Shoranur
    • Mangaluru
    • Thiruvananthapuram
    • Ernakulam
    • Kollam
    • Tirunelveli
    • Nagercoil
    • Rameswaram
    • Thoothukudi
    • Tiruchirapalli
    • Viluppuram
  • Wagon Maintenance Depots
    • Tondiarpet, Chennai
    • Egmore, Chennai
    • Madurai
    • Jolarpettai
    • Kochi Harbour
    • Arakkonam
    • Royapuram, Chennai
    • Pattibiram Military Siding
    • Erode
    • Kankanadu
    • Ernakulam
    • Milavittan
    • Irumpanam
    • Tiruchirapalli
    • Viluppuram
    • Uthagamandalam
• Printing Presses
  • General Printing Press, Royapuram, Chennai
  • Ticket Printing Factory, Thiruvananthapuram,
  • Ticket Printing Factory, Tiruchirappalli

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southern Railway Zone, India.

Indian Railways Authority Ministry of Railways Railway Board Zones Central Railway East Central Railway East Coast Railway Eastern Railway North Central Railway North Eastern Railway North Western Railway Northeast Frontier Railway Northern Railway South Central Railway South East Central Railway South Eastern Railway South Western Railway Southern Railway West Central Railway Western Railway Kolkata Metro Production units Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Diesel Locomotive Works Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works Integral Coach Factory Golden Rock Railway Workshop Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala Rail Wheel Factory Rail Spring Karkhana Railway depots Diesel Golden Rock Pune Samastipur MEMU Kollam Subsidiaries Bharat Wagon and Engineering Container Corporation of India Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India High Speed Rail Corporation of India Indian Railway Finance Corporation Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ircon International Konkan Railway Corporation Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Rail Vikas Nigam Limited RailTel Corporation of India RITES Autonomous organisations Central Organisation for Railway Electrification Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops Research Design and Standards Organisation Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) Railway Recruitment Control Board Rail Land Development Authority Training institutes Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering Indian Railway Institute of Electrical Engineering Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management RPF Academy Railway Staff College Network Chennai Suburban Railway Chennai MRTS Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Delhi Suburban Railway Hyderabad MMTS Kashmir Railway Kalka–Shimla Railway Kolkata Suburban Railway Kolkata Metro Konkan Railway Mumbai Suburban Railway Nilgiri Mountain Railway Golden I.T. Corridor Howrah–Delhi main line Grand Chord Sahibganj Loop Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line Howrah–Chennai main line New Delhi–Chennai main line Mumbai–Chennai line Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line Ahmedabad–Mumbai Main Line Mathura–Vadodara Section Services AC Express Express trains Fast Passenger Double Decker Express Duronto Garib Rath Express Jan Shatabdi Express Kavi Guru Express Premium train (Suvidha Express) Rajdhani Express Rajya Rani Express Shatabdi Express Sampark Kranti Express Superfast/Mail Vivek Express Yuva Express Special trains Lifeline Express Red Ribbon Express Sanskriti Express Science Express Tourist trains Deccan Odyssey Fairy Queen Maharaja Express Palace on Wheels Royal Orient Train Royal Rajasthan on Wheels The Golden Chariot Related articles Last vehicle board Railway Budget Railway Schools Future of the Indian Railways Employees All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA) All India Railway Employees' Confederation (AIREC) Templates Category Portal WikiProject

References

External links

• Southern Railway official website