History
The Madras government of the South Indian Railway wanted to extend their rail links into Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor) for commercial interests of both the states, during 1873. The Chief Engineer of Travancore, Mr. Barton, suggested a proposal to link Travancore by a railway line drawn from Kovilpatti of Madras state to Trivandrum (since renamed Thiruvananthapuram) through Shencottah in the Chittar mountain area, and from Trivandrum to Quilon (since renamed Kollam), the commercial centre of Kerala. Although the "South Indian Railway Company were inclined to make a survey of the southern route via the Aramboly pass to Trivandrum, --- the balance of opinion was in favour of the Northern route,[so] they obtained permission to survey that as well" The Dewan of Travancore Mr. Ramiengar "suggested that a line from Kovilpatti to Quilon through Shencottah would be the one most advantageous."About the close of 1881 the Consulting Engineer for Railways ordered for a trial survey of the line from Tirunelveli to Trvandrum via Shenkottai, Aryankavu and Quilon. Immediately the Chief Engineer of S.I.R took up the survey of, both the Southern and Northern routes to Trivandrum. In 1882, he submitted the report wherein he discussed the merits and demerits of both the routes. He held that the southern route would be cheaper and more beneficial than the northern one. But Dewan Ramiengar was strongly in favour of the northern route which would better promote its commercial interests of the country since Trivandrum was no more important commercially than Quilon. So the northern route was approved by the S.I.R. authorities and work started to link Tirunelveli Quilon via Tenkasi, Shencottah and Aryankavu. In 1913, the Secretary of State for India sanctioned the extension of railway line from Quilon to Trivandrum beach (present Pettai Station) and it was opened for traffic on 1 January 1918. In 1926 the extension of this line from Trivandrum Beach to the heart of the city, that is Thampanoor (the present-day Thiruvananthapuram Central), was completed in 1931. Hence the rail link ended at Trivandrum. At that point, when the work of extension of the railway line from Quilon to Trivandrum was taken up, there were no proposal or plan to extend it to Nagercoil.
Contents
Nobody requested or represented to the Maharaja or Dewan in this respect. But in 1928 a request was made to extend the rail link up to Nageroil. The very first man from South Travancore who made a claim at the Sree Moolam popular Assembly (headed by the Dewan of Travancore) to extend the Railway line up to Nagercoil was a Tamilian by name Mr.D.Francis of Ramanpudur on 1 March 1928 who was nominated as a member to the Sree Moolam popular Assembly by the Maharaja himself. The then Dewan Mr. Rajagopala Chariyar replied negatively, expressing the state’s inability to comply with his request,
Once again, the Tamil people of South Travancore were refused their request. After Mr. D.Francis, nobody raised this issue either at Sree Moolam Popular Assembly or at Chithira Popular Assembly for a rail link in to the Tamil area of Travancore, till Mr. Nesamony, the father of Kanyakumari District raised this issue at the Indian parliament, on 8 March 1965, wherein he requested extension of the railway line from Tirunelveli to Kanyakumari and then to Trivandrum Via Nagercoil. This was accepted by the Govt. of India in principle but he could not see it implemented during his lifetime as he expired on 1 June 1968.
The foundation stone for Kanyakumari Railway station was laid on 6 April 1972 by the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, while Sri.K.Kamaraj was the sitting Member of Parliament. As he opposed Mrs. Gandhi’s Emergency Policy’( the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977-but the inaguration held on 1972!) he was not even invited for the foundation stone laying function. As the function was performed at his constituency he made it a point to participate like an ordinary public man and he was made to sit at the first row provided for the public. On seeing him made to sit in such a neglected position Mrs .Gandhi was shocked and invited him to the dais, where he was then honoured suitably. Thus a Tamil people’s leader was ill treated by the officers, even before the Prime Minister of India by the Railway officers. After a lapse of seven years the Railway line and the Kanyakumari railway station was inaugurated on 15 April 1979 by the then Prime Minister Mr. Morarji Desai.
Route
Transfer Division
The Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari railway line was opened on 15 April 1979, and was then under Madurai Division. Trivandrum division was formed on second October 1979 carving out certain sections from Madurai division. The Meter Gauge sections of Madurai division were retained, while all the newly laid Broad Gauge Sections of Madurai Division were transferred to Trivandrum Division. Thus, the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Kanyakumari BG line, and the under-construction Tirunelveli-Nagercoil BG line were transferred to Trivandrum Division. It was then mentioned that when the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli line is completed, the sections falling under Kanyakumari district and Thirunelveli District would be transferred back to Madurai Division.The Nagercoil-Tirunelveli line was converted into BG line on 8 April 1981 and ever since people from South Tamil Nadu have been demanding the merger of Kanyakumari BG line with Madurai Division.