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Timeline of Southern Railway zone

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Timeline of Southern Railway zone

This is the timeline for Southern Railway zone that encompasses over present day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Karnataka.

Contents

19th century

  • 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 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 metre gauge.
  • 1879: Metre 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: Metre 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 Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram) and Ceylon started.

    • 20th century

  • 1902: Ernakulam - Shoranur path was set up.
  • 1904: Kollam Junction - Sengottai line was constructed.
  • 1907: Mangaluru - Kozhikode line was constructed.
  • 1908: Chennai Egmore was built.
  • 1918: Kollam Junction - Thiruvananthapuram line was built.
  • 1927: Shoranur - Nilambur line constructed.
  • 1929: Chennai suburban railway service began.
  • 1931: Chennai Beach to Tambaram metre 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 Railway 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
  • 01-09-1963 opening of Virudhunagar - Aruppukkottai metre gauge line
  • 02-05-1964 opening of Aruppukkottai -Manamadurai metre gauge line
  • 00-01-1965 Conversion of DC 1.5 kV 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 Broad gauge conversion of Ernakulam - Kollam MG section
  • 13-09-1976 Inauguration of Thiruvananthapuram Central - Ernakulam BG section via Kottayam
  • 00-00-1976 Tamil Nadu Express from New Delhi - Chennai Central started its operation.
  • 15-07-1977 Inaugural run of Vaigai Express.
  • 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 - Tiruvallur 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 Computerised 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 Bengaluru - 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 Chikjajur - Chitradurga - Rayadurg 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

    • 21st century

  • 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-Tiruchirapalli
  • 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: Vizhupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) gauge conversions started.
  • 2007: First movement on Pamban bridge after broad gauge conversion.
  • 2008: Virudhunagar - Manamadurai gauge conversion started.
  • 10-12-2008 : Pollachi - Palghat Gauge conversion started
  • 2009: Dindigul - Pollachi - Podanur Gauge Conversion started
  • 2010: Vizhupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) services started.
  • 01-12-2013 Inauguration of Palakkad MEMU Shed
  • 2011: Sengottai - Punalur gauge conversion began.
  • 2011: Madurai - Bodinayakkanur gauge conversion began.
  • 2012: Thiruvarur - Pattukottai gauge conversion began.
  • 2012: Dindugal - palani train service starts
  • 14-07-2012 Virudhunagar - Manamadurai BG line opened.
  • 01-12-2013 Inauguration of Kollam MEMU Shed
  • 09-01-2015: Palani - Pollachi train service starts
  • 16-11-2015: Pollachi - Palagat train service starts
  • 2016: Electric traction between Shoranur - Cheruvathur completed

    • References

    Timeline of Southern Railway zone Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA