Tirucochi at 04:24, 4 September 2025

2025-09-04T04:24:15Z

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{{Short description|Colonial-era railway tunnel}}
{{Orphan|date=September 2022}}

{{Infobox tunnel
|name= Aryankavu Railway Tunnel
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|line= [[Kollam–Sengottai Chord Line]]
|location= Aryankavu, [[Kerala]] - [[Tamilnadu]] Border
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|status= Active
|start= Aryankavu in Kerala
|end= Puliyara in Tamil Nadu
|official_name= Aryankavu–Puliyara (Kottavasal) Tunnel
|other_name= Kottavasal Tunnel
|also_known_as= Thenmala Tunnel
|crosses= [[Western Ghats]]
|startwork= 1901
|opens= 1903
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|owner= [[Indian Railways]]
|operator= [[Southern Railway zone]] of [[Indian Railways]]
|traffic= Train
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|length= 891.70 Meter
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|notrack= 1
|gauge= 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) ([[Broad gauge]])
|el= No
|speed= 30km/hour
|hielevation= 274.320 Meters above [[Sea level|M.S.L]]
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The '''Aryankavu–Puliyara (Kottavasal) tunnel''', also known as the "Aryankavu tunnel", is a railway tunnel located in the southern [[Western Ghats]] on the [[Kerala]]-[[Tamil Nadu]] border in [[India]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Whistling adieu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Whistling-adieu/article16573298.ece |website=The Hindu|date=17 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lesser Known Kerala Mountain Railways: Treat for Nature Lovers! |url=https://www.beontheroad.com/2019/01/lesser-known-kerala-mountain-railways.html# |website=Be on the road}}</ref> This 891.70 meter long tunnel is a section of the [[Kollam-Sengottai railway line]], which was the first line in the former [[Travancore Kingdom]] and has been in operation for more than a century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thenmala Attractions |url=https://www.keralatravels.com/pages/thenmala-attractions- |website=Kerala Travels}}</ref> This tunnel's construction began in 1901, and two years later, in 1903, it was finally completed. The Travancore Kingdom's conch insignia has been inscribed on both sides of the tunnel.<ref>{{cite web |title=View of the 112 years old tunnel from the eastern side (Harish Kumar) |url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Trips/south/punalur/DSC_0121.JPG.html? |website=IRFCA}}</ref> [[Aryankavu railway station]] in Kerala and Bhagavathipuram Station in [[Tamil Nadu]] are connected via the Aryankavu tunnel. It is the longest railway tunnel in Kerala and contains the state border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.<ref>{{cite web |title=റെയിൽപാത വഴി വരവ് നടക്കില്ല; കോട്ടവാസൽ തുരങ്കത്തിൽ 24 മണിക്കൂറും പരിശോധന |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/district-news/kollam/2020/04/23/kollam-24-hour-inspection-in-kottavasal-tunnel.html |website=manoramaonline}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=but not before spotting the state border point inside the tunnel (Naveen) |url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Trips/south/punalur/DSC_0110.JPG.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1 |website=IRFCA}}</ref> The border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is located 672 meters inside the tunnel from the Aryankavu entrance in Kerala.<ref>{{cite web |title=DSC_0105 |url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Trips/south/punalur/DSC_0105.jpg.html? |website=IRFCA}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|India}}

[[Category:Railway tunnels in India]]

Aryankavu Tunnel - Revision history

Tirucochi at 04:24, 4 September 2025