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{{Short description|Railway division of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{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 a railway division belonging to the [[Southern Railway Zone|Southern Railways]] (SR), [[India]]. Officially created in 1856, it spans over {{convert|1356|km|abbr=on}} making it the largest railway division of the Southern Railways.<ref name="sr1">{{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}}</ref> 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 whole of the country. Currently it covers up to 12 districts of [[Tamil Nadu]] and 1 in [[Kerala]]. Its headquarters is in [[Madurai]].<ref>http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1401881140695-wttmdu.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

==History==

===Origins===
The first railway line in this region was open in 1857 connecting Madurai to [[Tiruchirappalli Junction railway station|Trichirappalli {Trichy}]] via [[Dindigul Junction railway station|Dindigul]] and onward. In the following year, the railway line from Madurai to the port city of [[Thoothukudi railway station|Thoothukudi]] was completed. In the same year, another line branching off from [[Vanchi Maniyachchi Junction railway station|Vanchi Maniyachchi]] to [[Tirunelveli Junction railway station|Tirunelveli]] was opened.<ref name="sr1"/>

Only in the next century, most of the other present lines were completed. Among them were:<ref name="sr1"/>

*Madurai-Mandapam line in 1902
*Tirunelveli-Kallidaikurichi 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-Manamadurai Jn 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.<ref>https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56057/1/lsd_01_14_23-11-1956.pdf page 3</ref> The Madurai railway division was formed in 1956, comprising the Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram line, Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil-Tirunelveli-Madurai line, [[Kollam–Sengottai branch line|Kollam-Sengottai]]-[[Tirunelveli Junction railway station|Tirunelveli]] line, Rameswaram-Manamaadurai-Madurai line, Manamadurai-Karaikudi-Tiruchirappalli line, Madurai-Dindigul-Pollachi line Karaikudi-Thiruduraipoondi-Thiruvarur line and the other branches of these lines. All lines currently in use have been converted to Broad Gauge while remaining sections namely Madurai-Bodinayakkanur section are in the process of gauge conversion.

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 thus bringing down the jurisdiction of the division to 1356 km.<ref name="sr2">{{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}}</ref> 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 but the railway lines in the southern district haven't been restored till date. Kanyakumari terminal station lacks the required Railway infrastructures and therefore request for more train services were always turned down by them citing the same handicap as the reason.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

== Administration and jurisdiction ==
Th division spans across two states namely Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Tamil Nadu it serves a total number of 12 districts, those being: [[Coimbatore district|Coimbatore]], [[Dindigul district|Dindigul]], [[Madurai district|Madurai]], [[Pudukottai district|Pudukottai]], [[Ramanathapuram district|Ramanathapuram]], [[Sivaganga district|Sivagangai]], [[Theni district|Theni]], [[Tiruppur district|Tiruppur]], [[Thoothukudi district|Thoothukudi]], [[Tiruchirappalli district|Tiruchirappalli]], [[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]] and [[Virudhunagar district|Virudhunagar]] districts. In Kerala, the division covers the [[Kollam district|district of Kollam]] till [[Kilikollur railway station]].<ref name="map">{{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}}</ref>

=== Categorisation of stations ===
The list includes the stations under the Madurai railway division and their station category.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

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

|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''NSG-2''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
| style="text-align:center;" |
{{stnlnk|Madurai Junction}}
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''NSG-3''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" | 4
| style="text-align:center;" | {{stnlnk|Tirunelveli Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Dindigul Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Tuticorin}}, {{stnlnk|Rameswaram}}
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''NSG-4''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" | 3
| style="text-align:center;" |
{{stnlnk|Virudhunagar Junction}}, {{stnlnk|Kovilpatti}}, {{stnlnk|Ramanathapuram}}
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''NSG-5''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''NSG-6''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
| 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;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''HG - 3''' Category
| style="text-align:center;" | -
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|-
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Total'''
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Above 150'''
| style="text-align:center;" | -
|}
Stations closed for passengers - Nataransankottai, Nedugulam, Manamadurai East, Kulathur, Thondaimanallur and some stations.

==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.<ref name="toi">{{cite web | 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 | publisher=Times of India | access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref>

==Operations and services==

===Regular trains===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No of Trains run !! Daily !! Non-Daily
|-
| Express || 25 || 34
|-
| Passenger|| 56 || 0
|}

===Special trains===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 2011-12 !! 2012-13 !! 2013-14 (Up to October)
|-
| 1965 || 1848 || 700
|}

===Stations===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Passenger Halts !! No. of stations
|-
| Block stations|| 101
|-
| Flag stations || 20
|-
| Halt stations || 16
|}

==See also==
* [[Tiruchirappalli Railway Division|Tiruchirappalli railway division]]
* [[Thiruvananthapuram railway division]]
* [[Southern Railway Zone|Southern Railways]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

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

{{Railways in Southern India}}

[[Category:Madurai railway division| ]]
[[Category:Transport in Madurai]]
[[Category:Southern Railway zone]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Madras State]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Divisions of Indian Railways]]

Madurai railway division - Revision history

UpdateBot at 01:42, 6 June 2022