Status Operating Stations 5 | Locale Tamil Nadu Owner Indian Railways | |
Native name மானாமதுரை–விருதுநகர் இருப்புப்பாதை Type Express train
Passenger train Termini Manamadurai Junction (MNM)
Virudhunagar Junction (VPT) | ||
The Manamadurai–Virudhunagar line is a railway line connecting Virudhunagar and Manamadurai towns in Tamil Nadu.
Contents
History
A new railway line from Manamadurai Junction–Virudhunagar Junction was proposed in the Third Five Year plan, which was supposed to ease the pressure on the existing Manamadurai Junction–Madurai Junction and Madurai Junction–Virudhunagar Junction sections. On 1 September 1963, the 22.66 kilometres (14.08 mi) Virudhunagar Junction–Aruppukkottai section was opened, along with Aruppukkottai railway station in the same year by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Kamaraj. And on 2 May 1964, the rest of 43.89 kilometres (27.27 mi) Aruppukkottai–Manamadurai Junction section was thrown to traffic. Opened with meter gauge tracks, the 67 kilometres (42 mi) section had three crossing railway stations viz., Aruppukkottai, Tiruchchuli and Narikkudi catering immensely the passengers of the region and Tuticorin for traffic of goods.
Gauge conversions
Under Project Unigauge, the conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge was effected and the section was closed for operation during 2008. Initiated at a projected cost of ₹90 crore (US$13 million) and scheduled for completion by 2010, operational delays overran the project, shooting the budget up to ₹180 crore (US$27 million). The section which had 22 unmanned level crossings underwent safety inspection on 21 June 2013 for operational fitness. Finally, at a cost of ₹231.58 crore (US$34 million) the section consisting of five major bridges, 145 minor bridges and five railway stations (including 3 crossing stations) under Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts was re-opened for traffic on 14 July 2013 by the Union Minister of state for Civil Aviation, K. C. Venugopal.