:Madurai railway division

{{Infobox rail

| railroad_name = Madurai railway division

| logo_filename =

| logo_size =

| system_map =

| map_caption = Schematic Route Map of Madurai railway division

| map_size =

| marks =

| image = Madurai Junction.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Front view of {{rws|Madurai Junction}}

| locale = Tamil Nadu, India

| start_year = {{start date and age|1956}}

| end_year =

| predecessor_line = Southern Railways

| successor_line =

| gauge = {{Railgauge|1676mm}}

| old_gauge = {{Railgauge|1000mm}}

| electrification =

| length = {{cvt|1356|km}}

| hq_city = Madurai

| website = [http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,263,579,581 Madurai railway division]

}}

Madurai railway division is one of the six railway divisions under the jurisdiction of Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways.{{cite web |title=Railway Zones and Divisions in The Country |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=168812. |website=Press Information Bureau |publisher=Ministry of Railways (Government of India) |access-date=1 January 2025 |date=21 July 2017}} Officially created in 1956, it spans over {{convert|1356|km|abbr=on}} making it the largest railway division of the Southern Railways.{{cite web | url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1401862838528-mdu-web-data1-newfinal1.pdf | title=Southern Railways - Madurai railway division | publisher=Southern Railways, India | access-date=10 June 2014}} Prior to the formation of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division which was carved out of the division, it was one of the largest railway divisions in the country. Currently it covers up to{{Clarify|date=June 2024}} twelve districts of Tamil Nadu and one in Kerala. It is headquartered in Madurai.[http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1401881140695-wttmdu.pdf Southern Railways - Madurai railway division]

Major revenue generating junctions in the division are Madurai, Tirunelveli, Dindigul. In these stations most of the train halt and rake reversals takes place and also passenger foot fall is high.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

History

=Origins=

File:SOUTH_INDIAN_RAILWAY_IMPERIAL_GAZETTE_OF_INDIA_1909.jpg

The first railway line in this region was open in 1857 connecting Madurai to Trichnopoly (Trichy) via Dindigul and onward. In the following year, the railway line from Madurai to the port city of Thoothukudi was completed. In the same year, another line branching off from Vanchi Maniyachchi to Tirunelveli was opened.

Most of the other current lines were completed in the twentieth century. Among them were:

Madurai-Mandapam line in 1902
Tirunelveli-Kallidaikurichi line in 1902
Manamadura-Sivaganga line in 1902
Kallidaikurichi-Sengottai line in 1903
Kollam-Punalur line in 1904
Punalur-Sengottai line in 1904
Pamban-Rameswaram line in 1906
Pamban-Dhanushkodi line in 1908
Mandapam-Pamban line in 1914
Virudhunagar-Tenkasi line in 1927
Dindigul-Pollachi line in 1928
Thiruchirappalli-Pudukkottai line in 1929
Pudukkottai-Sivaganga line in 1930
Virudhunagar-Aruppukkottai Line in 1963
Aruppukkottai-Manamadurai Line in 1964

=Inception=

The Government decided to locate the headquarters of the division, which includes Tinnevely also, at Madurai.https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56057/1/lsd_01_14_23-11-1956.pdf page 3 The Madurai railway division was formed in 1956, comprising the Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram line, Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Tirunelveli-Madurai line, Kollam-Sengottai-Tirunelveli line, Rameswaram-Manamadurai-Madurai line, Manamadurai-Karaikudi-Tiruchirappalli line, Madurai-Dindigul-Pollachi line, Karaikudi-Thiruduraipoondi-Thiruvarur line and the Madurai-Bodinayakkanur line. All lines currently in use have been converted to broad gauge (BG).

In 1979, certain sections of the railway division were carved out to form the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. The metre 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, bringing down the jurisdiction of the division to 1356 km.{{cite web | url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,263,579,584 | title=Southern Railways - Thiruvananthapuram railway division | publisher=Southern Railways, India | access-date=10 June 2014}} It was then mentioned that when the Tirunelveli-Madurai line is converted into BG line the sections falling under Kanyakumari district and Tirunelveli district would be transferred back to Madurai Division. The Tirunelveli-Madurai line was converted into BG line on 8-4-1981.{{Cite web |url=http://164.100.47.132/newdebate/15/12/11122012/Fullday.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021212105/http://164.100.47.132/newdebate/15/12/11122012/Fullday.pdf |archive-date=21 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Administration and jurisdiction

Th division spans across two states namely Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Tamil Nadu it serves twelve districts: Coimbatore, Dindigul, Madurai, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Theni, Tiruppur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Virudhunagar districts. In Kerala, the division covers the district of Kollam as far as Kilikollur railway station.{{cite web|title=Madurai Division System Map|url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1381729275720-Wttmdu.31.12.pdf|website=Southern Railway|access-date=14 May 2017}}

=Categorisation of stations=

The list includes the stations under the Madurai railway division and their station category.{{cite web|title=Statement showing Category-wise No.of stations in IR based on Pass. earning of 2011|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/StationRedevelopment/AI&ACategoryStns.pdf|access-date=15 January 2016}}{{cite web|title=Passenger Amenities - Criteria for Categorisation of Stations|url=http://www.cr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1432447500773-23.Passenger%20Amenities%20PDF.pdf|access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045206/http://www.cr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1432447500773-23.Passenger%20Amenities%20PDF.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in|title=Annual originating passengers and earnings for the year 2018-19 - Madurai Division|publisher=Indian Railways |access-date=10 June 2019}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="background:#fff;"
style="background:#ffd750;" ! \| Category of station ! style="background:#ffd750;" ! \| No. of stations ! style="background:#ffd750;" ! \| Names of stations
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-1 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 0 \| style="text-align:center;" \|
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-2 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 1 ! style="text-align:center;" \| {{stnlnk\|Madurai Junction}}, {{stnlnk\|Tirunelveli Junction}}
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-3 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 4 \| style="text-align:center;" \| {{stnlnk\|Tuticorin}}, {{stnlnk\|Rameswaram}}, {{stnlnk\|Dindigul Junction}}
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-4 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \|7 \| style="text-align:center;" \| {{stnlnk\|Virudhunagar Junction}}, {{stnlnk\|Karaikudi Junction}}, Kovilpatti, {{stnlnk\|Ramanathapuram}},etc.
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-5 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 21 \| style="text-align:center;" \| {{stnlnk\|Manamadurai Junction}}, {{stnlnk\|Rajapalayam}}, {{stnlnk\|Pudukkottai}}, {{stnlnk\|Sivakasi}}, {{stnlnk\|Sivaganga}}, {{stnlnk\|Aruppukkottai}}, etc.
style="text-align:center;" \| NSG-6 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 81 \| style="text-align:center;" \| etc.
style="text-align:center;" \| HG - 1 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| - \| style="text-align:center;" \| -
style="text-align:center;" \| HG - 2 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 11 \| style="text-align:center;" \| -
style="text-align:center;" \| HG - 3 Category \| style="text-align:center;" \| 10 \| style="text-align:center;" \| -
style="text-align:center;" \| Total \| style="text-align:center;" \| 135 \| style="text-align:center;" \| -

class="wikitable sortable" style="background:#fff;"

style="background:#ffd750;" ! | Category of station

! style="background:#ffd750;" ! | No. of stations

! style="background:#ffd750;" ! | Names of stations

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-1 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 0

| style="text-align:center;" |

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-2 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 1

! style="text-align:center;" |

{{stnlnk|Madurai Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Tirunelveli Junction}}

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-3 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 4

| style="text-align:center;" |

{{stnlnk|Tuticorin}}, {{stnlnk|Rameswaram}}, {{stnlnk|Dindigul Junction}}

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-4 Category

| style="text-align:center;" |7

| style="text-align:center;" |

{{stnlnk|Virudhunagar Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Karaikudi Junction}}, Kovilpatti, {{stnlnk|Ramanathapuram}},etc.

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-5 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 21

| style="text-align:center;" |

{{stnlnk|Manamadurai Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Rajapalayam}}, {{stnlnk|Pudukkottai}}, {{stnlnk|Sivakasi}}, {{stnlnk|Sivaganga}},

{{stnlnk|Aruppukkottai}}, etc.

style="text-align:center;" | NSG-6 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 81

| style="text-align:center;" | etc.

style="text-align:center;" | HG - 1 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | -

style="text-align:center;" | HG - 2 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 11

| style="text-align:center;" | -

style="text-align:center;" | HG - 3 Category

| style="text-align:center;" | 10

| style="text-align:center;" | -

style="text-align:center;" | Total

| style="text-align:center;" | 135

| style="text-align:center;" | -

Stations closed for passengers - Nataransankottai, Karupatti, Nedugulam, Manamadurai East, Kulathur, Thondaimanallur and some stations.

List of stations and its MSG categories in Madurai division for 2023 https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1686913420595-MDU%20DIVISION%20-%20LIST%20OF%20STATIONS%20-2023.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}

Performance and earnings

The division won the inter-divisional overall efficiency - Best Division - award for its performance and earnings in the financial year of 2013. The total originating earnings for the year 2013-14 is Rs 576.29 crore as against the 2012-13 actual of Rs 523.68 crore leading to a 10% growth in overall earnings. On the punctuality front, the division achieved 96.2% for express and mail trains and 96.8% for passenger trains against the target of 96 per cent. Cash awards and merit certificates were distributed to officers and stations for their performance and maintenance. Railway school students performed cultural events during the celebrations.{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Madurai-division-records-growth-in-overall-earnings/articleshow/33836218.cms | title=Madurai division records growth in overall earnings | newspaper=Times of India | date=17 April 2014 | access-date=10 June 2014}}