Manamadurai–Virudhunagar line

Manamadurai–Virudhunagar line
Overview
Type	Regional rail Heavy rail
Status	Operating
Locale	Tamil Nadu
Termini	Manamadurai Junction (MNM) Virudhunagar Junction (VPT)
Stations	5
Services	1
Website	www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in
Operation
Opened	2 May 1964 (1964-05-02)
Owner	Indian Railways
Operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
Depot(s)	Golden Rock
Technical
Line length	67 km (42 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Loading gauge	4,725 mm × 3,660 mm (15 ft 6.0 in × 12 ft 0.1 in) (BG)[1]
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Route number	66[2]
Route map Legend km to Karaikkudi Junction to Madurai Junction 0 Manamadurai Junction to Rameswaram 22 Narikkudi 35 Tiruchchuli 45 Aruppukkottai to Madurai Junction 67 Virudhunagar Junction to Tirunelveli Junction to Tenkasi Junction

The Manamadurai–Virudhunagar line is a railway line connecting Virudhunagar and Manamadurai towns in Tamil Nadu.

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.^[3] On 1 September 1963, the 22.66 kilometres (14.08 mi) Virudhunagar Junction–Aruppukkottai section was opened,^[4] along with Aruppukkottai railway station in the same year by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Kamaraj.^[5] And on 2 May 1964, the rest of 43.89 kilometres (27.27 mi) Aruppukkottai–Manamadurai Junction section was thrown to traffic.^[6] 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.^[7]

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).^[7] The section which had 22 unmanned level crossings^[8] underwent safety inspection on 21 June 2013 for operational fitness.^[9] 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.^[10][11]

References

External links

• Southern Railways - Official Website

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