Type Regional rail Status Operational Termini Thrissur
Guruvayur | System Electrified Locale Thrissur District Stations 2 | |
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Guruvayur–Thrissur section is a spur line functioning under Trivandrum railway division of Southern Railway Zone. This is a single Broad Gauge line which begins at Thrissur city in Thrissur District and ends at Guruvayur in Thrissur District of Kerala. The 23 kilometres (14 mi) section was opened for traffic in the year 1994. The line connects the Cultural Capital of Kerala, Thrissur to the Temple Town of Kerala, Guruvayur, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.
History
In 1983, Kamalpati Tripathi, then Minister of Railways (India) announced the construction of Thrissur-Guruvayur-Kuttipuram section. But following stiff opposition from the local people, Kuttipuram was dropped. After carrying out detailed studies and examining various alternatives, it was decided to connect Tanur, on the Shoranur - Mangalore Section, to Guruvayur. On 19 January 1985 Indian Railway officially notifies Guruvayur-Tanur line for construction as temple town is a notified pilgrimage area. Rajiv Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India in 1987 inaugurated the first alignment line of Guruvayur-Tanur section.
On 9 January 1994 the first phase of the Thrissur-Guruvayur section was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India, Narasimha Rao. On 17 December 1995, Suresh Kalmadi and then Chief Minister of Kerala Kannoth Karunakaran inaugurated the work for the Guruvayur-Kuttipuram line. But later Kuttipuram was dropped once more and Indian Railways in 1997 give the green signal for Guruvayur-Tanur line. 51.25 km Guruvayur-Tanur railway line survey report was submitted to Indian Railways in July 1998. The project, estimated at Rs 138 crores, was sanctioned in 1999. The final surveys were done for the Guruvayur-Tanur railway line in January 2003, which will cover 51 km. The funds allocated for the project since 1999-2000 had lapsed. A sum of Rs 5 crores was allocated in the Railway Budget 2006 also. In October 2009, Guruvayur-Tirunavaya alignment was chosen by Indian Railways.