Jolarpettai–Shoranur line

Jolarpettai–Shoranur line
Salem Junction an Important railway station on Jolarpettai–Shoranur line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
Service
Operator(s)	Southern Railway, South Western Railway
Depot(s)	Erode, Jolarpettai
Rolling stock	WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A and WDG-4, WDP-4B/D diesel locos; and WAG-7 and WAP-4 ,WAP-7, WAG-9 electric locos.
History
Opened	1861
Technical
Track length	Main line: 418 km (260 mi) Branch lines Salem–Yeshvantapur 229 km (142 mi) Salem–Mettur Dam 39 km (24 mi) Irugur–Coimbatore–Mettupalayem 54 km (34 mi)
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Operating speed	Up to 135 km/h
Highest elevation	Jolarpettai 405 metres (1,329 ft) Coimbatore 411 metres (1,348 ft) Yeshvantapur 919 metres (3,015 ft)
Route map Legend km km Chennai-Bangalore line 0 Jolarpettai 8 Tirupattur 12 Molakarampatti to Bangalore City Yeshvantapur 229 19 Kagankarai to Hubli Lottegallohalli 225 25 Kunnathur Hebbal 222 Banaswadi 210 31 Samalpatti Chennai Central- Bangalore City line Belandur Road 197 39 Dasampatti Karmelaram 194 Heelalige 183 Ponnaiyar River NH 7 Anekal Road 173 48 Dodampatti Tamil Nadu Karnataka border Hosur 158 55 Morappur Kelamangalam 144 Periyanaga Thunai 135 61 Thonganur Rayakottai 119 Marandahalli 101 68 Buddireddippati Palakkodu 89 Hosur-Erode Road 78 Bommidi Dharmapuri 66 NH 7 88 Lokur Sivadi 55 Muttampatti 47 97 Danishpet Toppur 35 NH 7 104 Tinapatti Karuvalli 23 Mettur Dam 39 114 Karuppur Mecheri Road 27 Tolasampatti 19 NH 7 Omalur 11 Magnesite 3 117 Magnesite Salem 0 120 Salem to Vriddhachalam Salem Steel plant to Karur 128 Neykkarapatti 131 Virapandy Road 142 Magudanchavadi NH 544 154 Mavelipalaiyam 159 Sankaridurg India Cements factory 167 Anangur SH 79 177 Cauvery River Kaveri to Karur on Erode–Tiruchi line NH 381A 182 Erode Junction Outer Ring Road, Erode 189 Totiyapalayam 196 Perundurai 201 Ingur SH 96 209 Vijayamangalam 219 Uttukuli SH 81 222 Kulipalayam NH 381 SH 19 232 Tiruppur 240 Vanjipalayam Kousika River 250 Somanur 259 Sulur Road NH 544 265 Irugur Singanallur 14 282 Podanur Pilamedu 9 NH 209 0 Coimbatore Main Coimbatore North 3 Periyanayikanpalayam 17 Karaimadal 28 Mettupalayam 36 to Pollachi Nilgiri Mountain Railway (narrow gauge) NH 209 ACC Limited plant 286 Madukkarai 291 Ettimadai Tamil Nadu Kerala border 300 Walayar 304 Chullimada 311 Kanjikode 319 Kottekad Malampuzha River 326 Palakkad NH 966 to Pollachi 334 Parli 342 Mankara SH 77 349 Lakkidi 353 Palappuram 357 Ottappalam 364 Mannanur to Shoranur– Cochin Harbour section SH 22 370 Shoranur to Nilambur– Shoranur line to Shoranur– Mangalore section km This diagram: view talk

The Jolarpettai–Shoranur line connects Jolarpettai, on the Chennai Central–Bangalore City line in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Shoranur in Kerala. Incoming from Chennai/ Tirupati side via Arakkonam and Katpadi at Jolarpettai, there are several branch lines: Jolarpettai–Bangarapet–Bangalore, Salem–Omalur–Mettur Dam/Dharmapuri–Hosur–Yeshvantapur, Salem–Namakkal–Karur, Salem–Virudhachalam–Villupuram, Erode–Karur, Irugur/Podanur–Coimbatore–Mettupalayam and Palakkad–Dindigul. From Shoranur, the railway lines further branches out towards Kozhikode, Nilambur and Thrissur sides in Kerala. This network links the railway network in Kerala to the networks in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and subsequently other states.

History[]

The first train service in southern India and the third in India was operated by Madras Railway from Royapuram / Veyasarapady to Wallajah Road (Arcot) in 1856. Madras Railway extended its trunk route to Beypur / Kadalundi (near Calicut) in 1861^[1]

The metre-gauge Podanur–Mettupalayam line was opened to traffic in 1873. The UNESCO heritage track, Nilgiri Mountain Railway was opened in two stages. The Mettupalayam–Coonoor section was opened in 1899 and it was extended up to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in 1908.^[2] The Podanur–Mettuapalayam section was converted to broad gauge in early 2000s.

Two 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)-wide narrow gauge famine-protective lines were opened in the early years of the twentieth century. The 25.25 mi (41 km)-long Tirupattur–Krishnagiri line was opened in 1905 and the 18.5 mi (30 km)-long Morappur–Dharmapuri line was opened in 1906 and extended to Hosur – 54.5 mi (88 km) long. The Hosur–Dharmapuri line was decommissioned in 1941 and other two lines were closed around 1945.^[3][4]

The 229 km (142 mi)-long 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)-wide metre-gauge Salem–Bangalore line was opened in 1969.^[5][6] It was converted to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge in 1997.^[7]

Electrification[]

The mainline was electrified in stages. The Jolarpettai–Morappur sector was electrified in 1989–90, the Morappur–Salem (excluded) in 1990–91, the Salem–Erode sector in 1991–92, the Tiruppur–Walayar sector including Coimbatore in 1995–96, and the Waylar–Vallatolnagar (beyond Shoranur, towards Ernakulam) in 1996–97. The Magnesite–Mettur Dam sector was electrified in 1990–91. The electrification of Coimbatore–Mettuapalayam was completed in 2015.^[8][9]

Speed limit[]

Though the Arakkonam–Jolarpettai–Salem–Erode–Palakkad–Ernakulam line is classified as a "Group B" line which can take speeds up to 130 km/h, the maximum permissible speed is 110 km/hr.^[10]

Loco sheds[]

The Diesel Loco Shed, Erode holds WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A and WDG-4 locos. And the Electric Loco Shed, Erode holds WAG-7 and WAP-4 and WAP-7 locos. It is home to the largest fleet of WAP-4 locos on Indian Railways and handles some of the longest routes for electric trains in the country.^[11]

Jolarpettai has an electric/ diesel trip shed.^[11]

Passenger movement[]

Salem, Coimbatore, Erode and Palakkad, on this line, are among the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[12]

Stations[]

There are 38 railway stations along the stretch within Salem Railway Division and 40 railway stations within Tamil Nadu . The major stations are , , , , , , and . The details of the railway stations (excluding Ernakulam D Cabin - ERSD) with annual earnings in 2018-2019 is shown below.

**Note:-

1. Stations written in bold letters - Stations generating Rs. 2,00,00,000(Rs. 2 Crore) or more in a financial year.
2. The criteria for categorization of stations have now been revised to include footfalls at the station. The stations have been clubbed into three groups -- Non-suburban (NS), Suburban (S) and Halt (H). These groups have further been put in grades ranging from NSG 1-6, SG 1-3 and HG 1-3, respectively^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

References[]

External links[]

• Trains at Salem
• Trains at Coimbatore Main
• Trains at Erode
• Trains at Palakkad