Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section

2025-01-27T12:25:33Z

209.206.0.224: typo fix

{{short description|High density railway corridor in Kerala}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 25em
| name = Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section
| color =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = Thrissur Railway Station 2010.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption = A view of Thrissur Railway Station in [[Thrissur City]] from the railway over bridge.
| type = [[Regional rail]]
| system = Electrified
| status = Operational
| locale = [[Kerala]]
| start = {{rws|Shoranur Junction}} ('''SRR''')
| end = {{rws|Cochin Harbour Terminus}} ('''CHTS''')
| stations = 22
| routes = 2
| daily_ridership =
| open = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1902|07|16}}
| close =
| owner = [[Southern Railway Zone]]
| operator = {{rwd|Palakkad}}<br>{{rwd|Thiruvananthapuram}}
| character = Suburban and long distance
| depot = [[Ernakulam]]
| stock = WAP-1, [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]], [[Indian locomotive class WAP-7|WAP-7]] electric locos; WDS-6, [[Indian locomotive class WDM-2|WDM-2]], WDM-3A, [[EMD GT46PAC|WDP-4]] and WDG-3A, [[EMD GT46PAC|WDG-4]]
| linelength = {{convert|107|km}}
| tracks = 2
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1676mm}}
| old_gauge =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| electrification = Fully
| speed = {{convert|80|km/h}}
| elevation =
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20101113184249/http://southernrailway.gov.in/sr/indexhome.jsp]
| map = {{Shoranur–Ernakulam line}}
| map_state = hide
}}

'''Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section''' is a high density railway corridor in [[Kerala]] state, [[India]], running from [[Shoranur Junction]] in [[Palakkad]] district through [[Thrissur]] district to [[Kochi]] in [[Ernakulam]] district. The Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section is strategic and the lifeline of [[Kerala]] economy that connects the state to other parts of [[India]]. It is central to the provision of fast, long-distance Intercity and Express passenger services between [[Kerala]] and other cities of [[India]]. It is operated by [[Thiruvananthapuram railway division]] of the [[Southern Railway Zone (India)|Southern Railway zone]].

==History==
[[Sir Sri Rama Varma|Rama Varma]], known as ''Rajarshi'', the [[Maharaja of Cochin]] (1895–1914) was instrumental in establishing the [[Shoranur Junction]]–[[Cochin Harbour Terminus]] railway line. Records at the archives reveal that the Maharaja had a prolonged, detailed correspondence with the Resident of the [[British Empire]] since 1862 on the ways and means to establish the railway line.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Chugging through memory rail
|date=2002-07-15
|work=The Hindu
}}</ref>

Finally, the State was asked to bear the entire expenditure involved in laying the lines. The [[Kingdom of Cochin]] then was not rich enough to bear the substantial investment. But the Maharaja made the decision to sell a part of the valuables in his custody. The treasury records of [[Kingdom of Cochin]] substantiate the fact that the Maharajah sold 14 gold elephant caparisons that belonged to the [[Sree Poornathrayesa temple]] and other personal ornaments which belonged to the [[Cochin royal family]] to fund the project.<ref name="Waiting for the TRAIN of Hope">{{cite news
|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/06/24/stories/2004062401020100.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041110194250/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/06/24/stories/2004062401020100.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=10 November 2004
|title=Waiting for the TRAIN of Hope
|access-date=2010-09-22
|location=Chennai, India
|work=[[The Hindu]]
|date=24 June 2004}}</ref>

Once the fund was sanctioned the project ran into another hurdle. About {{convert|18|mi|km}} of the railway line, between [[Angamaly]] and [[Edappally]], passed through the erstwhile [[Travancore]] state. In October 1899, the [[Travancore]] state was requested to hand over the land required for the laying of the railway line. Construction began in 1899 and was undertaken by the [[Madras]] Railway company, on behalf of the [[Cochin]] state. There was a delay in the commissioning as bridges had to be built across a few rivers on the route. The route was opened for goods traffic on the 2 June and for passenger traffic on 16 July 1902. Thus train traffic began on this line. The metre gauge line was later converted to {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] on 24 October 1935.
<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news
|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/20/stories/2005122008660400.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104104248/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/20/stories/2005122008660400.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=4 November 2012
|title=Bifurcation of division to affect rail development
|access-date=2010-09-22
|location=Chennai, India
|work=[[The Hindu]]
|date=20 December 2005}}</ref> It was during the Diwanship of [[P. Rajagopalachari]] (1896–1901), the railway line was completed and under the Diwanship of C.G. Herbert (1930–1935) the line was converted from Metre Gauge to Broad Gauge.<ref>{{cite book
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVsw35oEBv4C&q=Shoranur-Cochin+Harbour+line&pg=PA277
|title=A Survey Of Kerala History
|year=2007
|publisher=D C Books
|isbn=9788126415786
|access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref>

The [[Shoranur Junction]]–[[Kochi]] metre gauge railway line, that was about {{convert|62|mi|km}} long, ended at the [[Ernakulam Terminus|Ernakulam Terminus Station]] (Ernakulam Old Railway Station; Station Code: ERG), situated behind [[Kerala High Court]]. Initially, there was only one track. A [https://www.quora.com/What-is-bulb-line-in-railways?top_ans=65730133 circular track] was put up nearby to enable the engine to turn. Buses and rickshaws used to come up to the station to pick up the passengers. There was an exclusive saloon for the Maharaja that used to be attached to the train only when the Maharaja travelled. Admission to the royal waiting room was restricted to members of the royal family and VIPs.<ref name="The Hindu"/><ref name="Railways cross a milestone">{{cite news
|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/12/stories/2010041258441300.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501011446/http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/12/stories/2010041258441300.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=1 May 2010
|title=Railways cross a milestone
|access-date=2010-09-22
|location=Chennai, India
|work=[[The Hindu]]
|date=12 April 2010}}</ref>

The contract having expired on 31 December 1907, The [[Madras Railway|Madras Guaranteed Railway Co]]. was purchased by the Secretary of State for India. The northern lines were made over to [[Southern Mahratta Railway|Southern Maratha Railway Co]]. for working, the enlarged company being styled thereafter as the [[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway]] Co. The southern lines from [[Jolarpet]] to [[Mangalore]], including branch lines were similarly made over to the South Indian Railway Co. along with running powers over the [[Madras]]-[[Bangalore]] section. [[Shoranur]]–[[Cochin]] Railway Line was open to traffic on 16 July 1902. The line was the property of the Cochin Government and was worked by the [[South Indian Railway Company]].<ref name="Railways cross a milestone"/> The line was converted into broad gauge between 1930 and 1935 as part of development of [[Cochin Port]].

==Post-colonial==
After Independence, the route was allocated to [[Palakkad Railway Division]] which was formed on 31 August 1956. Later on 2 October 1979, it was transferred to [[Thiruvananthapuram railway division]] under [[Southern Railway Zone (India)|Southern Railway]]. In 1986, the doubling of [[Shoranur]]–[[Ernakulam]] was completed. The electrification of this line was completed in 1996. A new broad gauge line for a distance of 23 kilometre connecting [[Thrissur]] to [[Guruvayur]] was opened in 1994. This line will be further extended to Tanur (via) Kuttipuram to connect the West Coast line and will serve as a parallel line to the existing [[Shoranur]]–[[Thrissur]] line.<ref name="Waiting for the TRAIN of Hope"/><ref name="Railways cross a milestone"/>

==Economic importance==
An average, about 110 trains (60 passenger and 35 goods train) passes through this high density corridor every day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=12758190&programId=1073753765&channelId=-1073751706&BV_ID=@@@&tabId=11|title=Goods train not moving in Shoranur-Cochin corridor|publisher=manoramaonline.com|access-date=2012-11-07|archive-date=5 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105133226/http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=12758190&programId=1073753765&channelId=-1073751706&BV_ID=@@@&tabId=11|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=12758191&programId=1073753765&channelId=-1073751706&BV_ID=@@@&tabId=11|title=Shoranur-Cochin corridor|publisher=manoramaonline.com|access-date=2012-11-07|archive-date=5 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105133153/http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/malayalamContentView.do?contentId=12758191&programId=1073753765&channelId=-1073751706&BV_ID=@@@&tabId=11|url-status=dead}}</ref> Till 1943, all the goods to [[Kerala]] state were transported through back waters. After the arrival of Shoranur – Cochin Harbour section, backwaters lost the glory and majority of the goods were carried by the trains. Tiles, timber and wooden packing boxes were the main goods which were transported to other parts of India through [[Shoranur]] – [[Cochin]] Harbour section, from [[Ollur railway station]]. Later these goods were changed to petroleum goods from [[Kochi Refineries Limited]], LPG from [[Kochi LNG Terminal]], diesel, cement bags, iron ore, coal, copper, steel rods, salt, sugar, rice, wheat, containers to and from [[International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi]] etc.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Railways in Southern India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section}}
[[Category:Economy of Kochi]]
[[Category:Transport in Kochi]]
[[Category:Transport in Thrissur]]
[[Category:Economy of Thrissur]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Kerala]]
[[Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1902]]
[[Category:Palakkad railway division|*]]
[[Category:Thiruvananthapuram railway division|*]]
[[Category:1902 establishments in India]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section