Tiruchirappalli railway division
Tiruchirappalli railway division is one of the six railway divisions of Southern Railway Zone of India. It has its administrative headquarters located at Tiruchirappalli. It serves most of the districts of delta region and Central Tamil Nadu.
History and background
The history of division dates long back to 1853, when the Great Southern of India Railway Company was established with its headquarters at England and first line was constructed between Negapatnam and Trichinopoly in 1859. Tiruchirappalli railway division was formed while consolidating all other railways of pre-independence era on 16 May 1956. It is the second largest division of the zone having a route length of about, spread over 13 districts of Tamil Nadu. Also this could be the only division in the world that is serving the railway lines of erstwhile South Indian Railway Company and Pondicherry Railway Company developed by the British empire and French empire respectively.Administration
The division comes under Southern Railway zone, which is headed by General Manager, Shri Vashishta Johri. The division is headed by Divisional Railway Manager, Atul Kumar Agarwal. It was also once headed by Manjula Rangarajan, a 1983 batch Indian Railway Accounts Service officer, who became the first woman to head the division in its 150-year history. The divisional railway office is located close to Tiruchirappalli Junction, which is one of the busiest railway junctions in India and second biggest railway station in Tamil Nadu only next to Chennai Central.Jurisdiction
The division spans to Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Nagappattinam, Cuddalore,Panruti,Chidambaram Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ariyalur, Viluppuram, Tiruvarur, and Perambalur districts of Tamil Nadu state and Union Territory of Pondicherry including Karaikal. The total area covered by the division is about, of which BG accounts to and MG is, which are all under Gauge conversion.
The between and is operating with Triple line, as Both Chord Line and Main Line runs parallel between these stations and for extensive shunting and maintenance purpose due to the proximity of Central Workshop, Diesel loco shed and a newly established electric locomotive trip shed, the entire division has single lines except for Trichy-Villupuram Section of Chord Line which has been completely Upgraded to Double Line Electrified Section.
Routes https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1532411727653-TPJmap-2018.pdf
| From | To | Line | Gauge | Track | Traction | Chainage from | Chainage to | Distance | Status |
| Tiruchirappalli Fort | Tiruchirappalli Junction | Branch Line | BG | Single | Diesel/Electric | 136.43 | 141.10 | 5 | Active |
| Viluppuram Junction | Tiruchirappalli Junction | Chord line | BG | Double | Diesel/Electric | 161.60 | 341.60 | 180 | Active |
| Viluppuram Junction | Katpadi | Branch line | BG | Single | Diesel/Electric | 0.00 | 159.10 | 159 | Active |
| Viluppuram Junction | Puducherry | Branch line | BG | Single | Diesel/Electric | 0.00 | 37.62 | 38 | Active |
| Viluppuram Junction | Tiruchirappalli Junction | Main line | BG | Single/Double | Diesel/Electric | 162.76 | 406.80 | 244 | Active |
| Cuddalore Port Junction | Vridhachalam Junction | Branch line | BG | Single | Diesel | 0.00 | 58.27 | 58 | Active |
| Mayiladuthurai Junction | Karaikkudi Junction | Branch line | BG | Single | Diesel/Electric | 0.00 | 187.03 | 187 | Active |
| Tiruthuraipoondi Junction | Agasthiyampalli | Spur Line | MG | Single | Diesel | 0.00 | 36.91 | 37 | Under Guage Conversion |
| Thanjavur Junction | Karaikal | Branch line | BG | Single | Diesel/Electric | 0.00 | 96.46 | 96 | Active |
| Nidamangalam Junction | Mannargudi | Spur line | BG | Single | Diesel | 0.00 | 13.96 | 14 | Active |
| Nagapattinam Junction | Velankanni | Spur line | BG | Single | Diesel | 0.00 | 10.40 | 10 | Active |
Doubline line is available between Tiruchirappalli Junciton and Thanjavur Junction only.
Electric Traction not available between Mayiladuthurai Junction and Thanjavur Junction.
Electric Traction is available between Mayiladuthurai Junction and Tiruvarur Junction only.
List of railway stations and towns
The list includes the stations under the Trichy railway division and their station category.| Category of station | No. of stations | Names of stations |
| A-1 Category | 0 | |
| A Category | 5 | ,,,, |
| B Category | 4 | ,,, |
| C Category | – | – |
| D Category | 6 | ,,,,, |
| E Category | 1 | |
| F Category Halt Station | – | – |
| Total | – | – |
| Category of station | No. of stations | Names of stations |
| NSG-1 Category | 0 | – |
| NSG-2 Category | 0 | – |
| NSG-3 Category | 3 | ,, |
| NSG-4 Category | 4 | ,,, |
| NSG-5 Category | 19 | ,,,,,,,,, Tirukkovilur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore Cantonment,, Nagore,, Tiruverumbur, Papanasam, Sirkazhi, Cuddalore Port, Tiruppadiripuliyur |
| NSG-6 Category | 69 | Chinnababu Samudram, Venkateshapuram, Mambalapattu, Tandarai, Turinjapuram, Agaram Sibbandi, Polur, Arani Road, Kannamangalam, Kaniyambadi, Uttangal Mangalam, Neyveli, Vadalur, Kurinjipadi, Tiruchirapalli Palakkarai, Saliyamangalam, Koradacheri, Kulikarai, Kizhvelur, Peralam, Nannilam, Mavur Road, Tirunellikaval, Tiruthuraipundi, Tillaivilagam, Mutupet, Adirampattinam, Pattukkottai, Ayingudi, Arantangi, Kandambakkam, Tiruvennamallur Road, Parikkal, Ulundurpet, Puvanur, Vriddhachalam Town, Talanallur, Pennadam, Ichchiangadu, Mathur, Sendurai, Ottakovil, Sillakkudi, Kallagam, Kallakudi Palanganatham, Pullambadi, Valadi,,, Manjattidal, Solagampatti, Budalur, Alakkudi, Titte, Pandaravadai, Sundaraperumal Koil, Aduthurai, Kutralam, Anandatandavapuram, Vaithisvarankoil, Kollidam, Kille, Puduchatiram, Alapakkam, Nellikuppam, Melpattambakkam, Panruti, Thiruthuraiyur, Serndanur |
| SG-1, SG-2, SG-3 Category | 0 | – |
| HG-1 Category | 0 | – |
| HG-2 Category | 11 | Valavanur, Vellore Town, Ammapet, Velippalaiyam, Pichandarkovil, Aiyanapuram, Swamimalai, Darasuram, Tiruvidaimarudur, Nidur, Parangipettai |
| HG-3 Category | 35 | Ayandur, Adichchanur, Andapallam, Madimangalam, Sedarampattu, Pennathur, Kudikadu, Koyilvenni, Tirumathikkunnam, Adiyakkamungalam, Kuthur, Sikkal, Andanapettai, Tirumalairayan Pattinam, Punthottam, Ammanur, Alattambadi, Manali, Ottankadu, Valaramanikkam, Kandanur Puduvayal, Vellur, Kattur, Uttamar Kovil, Tondamanpatti, Kudikadu, Koyilveni, Tirumathikunnam, Pasupathikovil, Ayyampet, Tirunageswaram, Narasinganpet, Vallampadugai, Capper Quarry, Varakalpattu |
| Unclassified/Closed | 15 | Teli, Mugaiyur, Velanandal, Meppuliyur, Kullanchavadi, Malliyam, Manganallur, Mandurai, Kadambankulam, Mariamman Koil, Kodikkalpalayam, Virkudi, Pandi, Kariyapattinam, Merpanaikkadu |
| Total | 156 | – |
Operations
Passenger services
The division involves in operating about 150 trains per day, of which the stretch chord line experiences heaviest traffic handling about 30 passenger and 56 express trains passing through everyday in addition to goods train, particularly during night.The division operates about 30 Passenger Reservation System centers which includes six post offices at Villianur, Tiruvettipuram, Peravurani, Muthupet, Srirangam, and Ponmalai under the 1,000 PRS scheme, as a part of improving passenger amenities. At the headquarters station, plasma screen electronic display boards, electronic train arrival/departure boards were installed along with a renovated linen room and Integrated Security System to enhance security.
The division became the first in the Southern Railway zone to install multi-coloured LED coach indication boards at Kumbakonam railway station during November 2013 and at Tiruchirappalli junction during January 2014, for Platform.no.1 alone which is supposed to be extended till Platform no.5 and also at about 17 other stations including Viluppuram, Puducherry, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai and Mannargudi within the division.