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Peralam–Karaikal Railway line
Overview
Status	Under Construction
Owner	French East India Company (former) Indian Railways (present)
Locale	Tamil Nadu; Puducherry
Termini	Peralam Junction (PEM) Karaikal (KIK)
Stations	4
Website	www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in
Service
Type	Regional rail Heavy rail Light rail
Services	1
Operator(s)	Great South Indian Railway (former) South Indian Railway Company (later) Southern Railway zone (present)
Depot(s)	Golden Rock
Rolling stock	0-6-0
History
Planned opening	December 2024
Opened	14 March 1898; 126 years ago (1898-03-14)
Closed	1987; 37 years ago (1987)
Technical
Line length	23 km (14 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	Yes
Operating speed	50 km/h (31 mph)
Route map Legend km to Mayiladuthurai Junction to Thiruvarur Junction 0 Peralam Junction Tamil Nadu Puducherry 8 Ambagarathur 13 Pathakudy 16 Thirunallar 20 Karikovilpathu 23 Karaikal 28 Tirumalairayanpattinam Puducherry Tamil Nadu 34 Nagore 39 Vellipalayam 43 Nagapattinam Junction to Thiruvarur Junction 53 Velankanni Pappakoil proposed Sembiya Mahadevi proposed Palakkurichi proposed Thirukkuvalai proposed Ettukudi proposed to Thiruvarur Junction 85 Tiruturaipundi Junction to Point Calimere to Pattukkottai

The Peralam–Karaikal line is a branch line connects Peralam, Tamil Nadu with Karaikal, Puducherry in South India. It is the one and only unconverted railway line in Puducherry union territory and one of the few unconverted railway lines in southern railway zone. This line is one of the cauvery delta railway line which falls under Tiruchirappalli division.

It was one of the 4 unconverted railway lines in south India. The other 3 were the Mayiladuthurai Junction to Tranquebar railway line and Thiruthuraipoondi Junction to Point Calimere Railway line and Bodinayakkanur - Madurai railway line.The Madurai to Bodinayakkanur railway line section via Theni is already converted to broad gauge and electrified.

The three railway lines, Tranquebar railway line, Peralam-Karaikal railway line and Point Calimere railway line were closed during the 1980s due to poor patronage citing unviability. But now they are under consideration for conversion to broad gauge lines.

On the 2020–21 February Indian budget ₹88 crores were sanctioned for this line out of the total ₹177 crores. And all railway work on this line is planned to be completed by December 2024.

History

This metre gauge branch line between Peralam Junction and Karaikal was approved for construction by French India during December 1895. The French government invested about 1,201,840 ₣ (approximately ₹1.51 crore (US$180,000) in 2014) for the construction, which was done by the then Great South Indian Railway (which was later merged with South Indian Railway Company) and opened on 14 March 1898.

Due to persistent demand from various quarters, revival of line gained momentum for surveying the feasibility outside the purview of Railway Budget, which proposed a rough estimate of about ₹110 crore (US$13 million). Officially, the line was taken up for survey as the announcement came in the 2013–2014 Railway Budget, at an outlay of ₹10 lakh (US$12,000) and at an estimate of about ₹120 crore (US$14 million) for full-fledged activities. Apart from retaining the four railway stations in the past and laying broad gauge tracks in the same old path, detour lines of about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) is planned at Peralam Junction and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) for Tirunallar yard. In June 2019 tenders were floated for the execution of the project, expecting to complete it by March 2021.

Route

With a route length of 23.5 kilometres (14.6 mi), the line had four stations Ambagarattur, Paruttikudi, Thirunallar and Karikovilpathu within a stretch of 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi) up to Karaikal, all falling within the territory of French India (now Karaikal district). The rest of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) between Ambagarattur and Peralam falls within British India region (now Tiruvarur district).

Operations

Passenger services

Though owned by French India, the operations were transferred to the then Great South Indian Railway in accordance with agreement signed in 1902. There were 4 up-and-down services, but due improvement in road connectivity the earnings dropped and subsequently the services were reduced to one in 1943. After Indian Independence and Railway Re-organisation, the line fell into the jurisdiction of Tiruchirappalli railway division. In 1967, citing under utilisation of the line for passenger traffic in its transport survey, the National Council for Applied and Economic Research recommended for closure of the line.

Freight services

This line provided rail connectivity to Karaikal port and transfer of goods through rail into British India, as this line would give further connectivity to Mayiladuthurai Junction, which falls on the main line. Cement, fertilisers, tiles, timber, kerosene oil, rice, wheat, grains, pulses and paddy were the main goods involved in traffic. Raw materials like pressed cotton and coal for textile mills and iron billets for Pondicherry Rolling Mills were brought in, processed and the finished product was supplied all over the country. Though the goods traffic density fared better, the passenger traffic slumped and services were called off except the rolling stock.

See also

• Tiruchirappalli division
• Indian Railways

References

1. ^ "Communications - Railways". Karaikal district. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
2. "Restoration of Mayiladuthurai-Tranquebar rail link may be on the cards". The Hindu. 12 April 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
3. "Mayavaram-Tranquebar Railway - FIBIwiki". wiki.fibis.org. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
4. ^ "Indian Railways Map - Railway Enquiry". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
5. "Southern Railway to operate goods trains on newly converted gauge line | Trichy News". The Times of India. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
6. Bureau, The Hindu (15 June 2023). "Train services from Bodinayakkanur resume after 13 years". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 July 2024. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
7. Rajaram, R. (5 February 2021). "Karaikal-Peralam railway line project gets an impetus". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
8. Rajaram, R. (5 March 2020). "Karaikal-Peralam new broad gauge railway line project awaits release of funds". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
9. Somerset Playne; J. W. Bond (1914). Arnold Wright (ed.). Southern India: Its History, People, Commerce, and Industrial Resources. Chennai: Asian Education Services. pp. 534, 595. ISBN 9788120613447. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
10. "Karaikal-Peralam rail line to be revived". The Hindu. Karaikal. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
11. P. V. Srividya (10 March 2012). "Salem-Karaikal line survey almost over". The Hindu. Karaikal. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
12. "Railway Budget: 2013–2014 (Southern Railway)" (PDF). Ministry of Railways (India). Southern Railway zone. p. 1. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
13. "Karaikal-Peralam line survey begins". The Hindu. Karaikal. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
14. "Chennai-Karaikal rail project to be implemented soon: Union Minister V Narayanasamy". The Economic Times. Karaikal. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
15. "Committee to study Karaikal-Peralam line project proposal". The Hindu. Karaikal. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
16. "Revival of Karaikal-Peralam line finally takes shape". The Hindu. Tiruchirappalli. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
17. ^ "Chapter VII - Communications-Railways" (PDF). Government of Puducherry. Directorate of Economics and Statistics. pp. 3–6. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
18. "Chapter VII - Communications-Ferries and Bridges (Railways)" (PDF). Government of Puducherry. Directorate of Economics and Statistics. p. 1. Retrieved 29 March 2014.

• ₹177.69 crore sanctioned for laying Karaikal - Peralam railway line

External links

• Southern Railways - Official Website

• Trichy railway division
• Rail transport in Tamil Nadu
• Railway lines opened in 1898
• Railway lines closed in 1987
• Transport in Karaikal
• Rail transport in Puducherry