Transport in Tamil Nadu: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Chennai Central D.jpg|thumb|320x320px|[[Chennai Central railway station|Chennai Central]], one of the busiest railway stations of India|alt=]]{{short description|Article about modes of transportation in an Indian state}}
[[Tamil Nadu]], a state in [[South India]], has a developed, dense, and modern transportation infrastructure, encompassing both public and private transport. Its capital city [[Chennai]] is well-connected by land, sea, and air and serves as a major hub for entry into South India.
{{Life in Tamil Nadu}}
[[Tamil Nadu]], a state in [[South India]], has a highly developed, dense, and modern transportation infrastructure, encompassing both public and private transport. Its capital city, [[Chennai]] is well-connected by land, sea, and air and serves as a major hub for entry into South India.[[File:Highway Network of Tamil Nadu.png|thumb|200px|Map indicating Highways network of [[Tamil Nadu]]]]
[[File:A village scene from the Mango Orange Village.jpg|thumbnail|An Autorickshaw in [[Mango Orange]] village, Tamil Nadu|alt=|263x263px]][[File:NH 67 in Thanjavur.jpg|thumb|200px|NH 67 in [[Thanjavur]]]]
[[File:Kathipara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kathipara Junction|Kathipara flyover]] is one of the largest [[Cloverleaf interchange]]s in [[South Asia]]]]
[[File:Pamban-bridge.JPG|thumb|200px|Pamban road (left) and rail (right) bridges, connecting the Indian mainland with the [[Pamban Island]]]]
[[File:Chennai bus.jpg|thumb|200px|A MTC [[Volvo B7RLE]] in [[Chennai]]]]
[[File:MTC Bus 21G.JPG|alt=|thumb|200x200px|low floor mtc bus in [[Coimbatore|chennai]]]]
[[File:Acbus2.jpg|thumb|200px|An air conditioned bus operated by SETC]]
[[File:Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus.jpg|thumb|200px|[[CMBT]] in [[Chennai]], one of the largest bus stations in Asia]]
[[File:Velachery Railway station June 2010.jpg|thumb|200px|Mass Rapid Transit System in [[Chennai]]]]
[[File:Chennai metro during trail run.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Metro]]]]
[[File:Chennai airport front view.jpeg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai International Airport]], one of the busiest airports in [[South Asia]]]]
[[File:Cbe.PNG|thumb|200px|[[Coimbatore International Airport]], second busiest airport in the state]]
[[File:Madras Port In 1996.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Port]], busiest port in the east coast of India]]


== Roadways ==
==Road==
[[File:Highway Network of Tamil Nadu.png|thumb|200px|Map indicating Highways network of [[Tamil Nadu]]]]
{{Main|Road network in Tamil Nadu}}
Tamil Nadu has an extensive road network covering about 2.71 lakh km as of 2023 with a road density of {{convert|2084.71|km}} per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which is higher than the national average of {{convert|1926.02|km}} per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Policy">{{Cite report|title=Highway policy|url=https://www.tnhighways.tn.gov.in/pdf/hw_e_pn_2023_24.pdf|publisher=[[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref> The Highways Department (HD) of the state was established in April 1946 and was later renamed as [[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]] on 30 October 2008.<ref name="TNGov">{{Cite report|url= http://www.tn.gov.in/gorders/par/par_e_202_2008.pdf|title= Highways Department renamed as Highways and Minor Ports Department|publisher=[[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date=15 July 2010}}</ref> The agency is primarily responsible for construction and maintenance of [[List of National Highways in India#Tamil Nadu|national highways]], state highways, major district roads and other roads in the state. It operates through eleven wings with 120 divisions and 450 subdivisions.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.tnhighways.tn.gov.in/en/organization|title=Wings of Highways Department|publisher=[[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date= 15 July 2023}}</ref> The agency maintains {{convert|73187|km}} of highways in the state.<ref name="HW">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tnhighways.tn.gov.in/en/aboutus|title=Tamil Nadu highways, about us|publisher=[[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date= 15 July 2023}}</ref>


=== Roads in Tamil Nadu ===
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 100%"
{{Main|Road network in Tamil Nadu}}
|+Road length in TN<ref name="HW"/>
{{Category see also|Roads in Tamil Nadu}}
!Type
[[Tamil Nadu]] has an extensive road network. The state road network covers about 153&nbsp;km per 100&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> area, which is higher than the country's average road network coverage of 103&nbsp;km per 100&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> area. A separate Highways Department (HD) was established in April 1946 and the same has been renamed as [[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways & Minor Ports Department (HMPD)]] on 30 October 2008.<ref name="TNGov">{{Cite web| url= http://www.tn.gov.in/gorders/par/par_e_202_2008.pdf | title= Highways Department renamed as Highways and Minor Ports Department| author= Government of Tamil Nadu  | access-date=15 July 2010}}</ref>  HMPD of Tamil Nadu is primarily responsible for construction and maintenance of roads including [[List of National Highways in India#Tamil Nadu|national highways]], state highways and major district roads in Tamil Nadu. It operates through 7 wings namely National Highways Wing, Construction & Maintenance Wing, NABARD and Rural Roads Wing, Projects Wing, Metro Wing, Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project Wing, Investigation and Designs Wing geographically spread across the state in 35 districts with about 120 divisions and 450 subdivisions.<ref name="TNHWYs">{{Cite web | url= http://www.tnhighways.org/org.htm | title= Wings of Highways Department | author= Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu | access-date= 15 July 2010 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100722142908/http://www.tnhighways.org/org.htm | archive-date= 22 July 2010 }}</ref>
!{{tooltip|NH|National Highways}}
!{{tooltip|SH|State Highways}}
!{{tooltip|MDR|Major District Roads}}
!{{tooltip|ODR|Other District Roads}}
!{{tooltip|OR|Other Roads}}
!'''Total'''
|-
|Length (km)
|6,805
|12,291
|12,034
|42,057
|197,542
|'''271,000'''
|}


=== National Highways ===
===National highways===
[[File:Kathipara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kathipara Junction|Kathipara flyover]] [[Cloverleaf interchange]] in [[Chennai]]]]
{{See also|Highways of Tamil Nadu#National Highways|l1=National Highways}}
{{See also|Highways of Tamil Nadu#National Highways|l1=National Highways}}
{{Category see also|National Highways in Tamil Nadu}}


In Tamil Nadu, ‘’National Highways Wing’’ of Highways & Minor Ports Department was established in the year 1971 to look after the works of improving, maintaining and renewing of National Highways laid down by National Highways Authority of India [[National Highways Authority of India|(NHAI)]].<ref name="tnhighways">{{Cite web | url= http://www.tnhighways.org/nh.htm | title= National Highways wing | author= Tamil Nadu Highways Department | access-date= 15 July 2010 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110303215957/http://www.tnhighways.org/nh.htm | archive-date= 3 March 2011 }}</ref> [[National Highway 47 (India)|NH 47]], [[National Highway 49 (India)|NH 49]], [[NH 208]] and [[NH 220]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Kerala]].  [[NH 67]], [[NH 207]] and [[NH 209]] connects Tamil Nadu with Karnataka. [[NH 205]], [[NH 219]]  and [[National Highway 234 (India)|NH 234]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Andhra Pradesh]].  [[National Highway 4 (India, old numbering)|NH 4]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Maharashtra]], [[Karnataka]], and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. [[National Highway 5 (India)(old numbering)|NH 5]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. [[NH 44]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Haryana]], [[Delhi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], and [[Karnataka]]. [[NH 66]] connects [[Tamil Nadu]] with [[Karnataka]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]].<ref name="ssDFdhukY">{{Cite web| url= http://morth.nic.in/index3.asp?langid=2&sublink2id=359 | title= National Highways in Tamil Nadu | publisher= Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India | access-date=15 July 2010}}</ref>
The ‘’National Highways Wing’’ of the highways department of Tamil Nadu was established in 1971 to look after the works of improving, maintaining and renewing of [[National highways of India|National Highways]] laid down by [[National Highways Authority of India]] (NHAI).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tnhighways.tn.gov.in/en/nationalhighway|title=National Highways wing|publisher=[[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref> There are 48 national highways of length {{convert|6805|km}} in the state.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/Details-of-National-Highways-as-on-31.03_1.pdf|title=Details of national highways|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>


=== State Highways ===
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 100%"
{{See also|Highways of Tamil Nadu#State Highways|l1=State Highways}}
|+National Highway length in Tamil Nadu<ref name="HW"/>
{{Category see also|State highways in Tamil Nadu}}
!Lanes
Roads which connects [[district]] headquarters, important towns and the [[National Highway (India)|National Highways]] in the State and neighboring States are declared as '''State Highways'''. Construction & Maintenance wing of Highways Department looks after Construction, Maintenance of all the State Highways (SH), Major District Roads (MDR), Other District Roads (ODR). Tamil Nadu State Highways Network has 7 circles namely [[Chennai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], [[Trichy]], [[Madurai]] and [[Tirunelveli]].<ref name="TNHighway">{{cite web| url= http://www.tnhighways.org/cir.htm| title= Highways Circle of Highways Department, Tamil Nadu| author= Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu| access-date= 15 July 2010| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20021224184615/http://www.tnhighways.org/cir.htm| archive-date= 24 December 2002}}</ref>
!Two
!Four
!Six
!Eight
!'''Total'''
|-
|Length (km)
|3,814
|2,649
|333
|9
|'''6,805'''
|}


=== Other Roads ===
===State highways===
This category includes Major District Roads, Other District Roads (ODR), Rural & Sugarcane Roads and Special Roads such as [[East Coast Road]], [[Rajiv Gandhi Salai|Rajiv Gandhi Salai / IT Expressway]], Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), [[Chennai Port – Maduravoyal Expressway]] and [[Outer Ring Road, Chennai|Outer Ring Road Project]]. This Roads provides linkage between production and marketing centers within a district. It also provides connectivity for district & taluk headquarters.
{{See also|List of state highways in Tamil Nadu}}


The East Coast Road was the first project implemented by Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) in the year 2002 which runs from Chennai till outskirts of Puduchery for a total length of {{convert|113.2|km}}. The {{convert|19|km}} long Chennai Port – Maduravoyal Expressway is being developed by Chennai Port Trust and Government of Tamil Nadu on 50:50 cost sharing basis at cost of {{INRConvert|1655|c}}. The {{convert|62|km}} long Outer Ring Road with six lanes from Vandalur to Minjur is the project developed at a cost of {{INRConvert|1000|c}} in two phases.
Roads which connect [[district]] headquarters, important towns and [[National Highway (India)|national highways]] in the state are classified as state highways. Construction and maintenance wing of the highways department is responsible for the construction, maintenance of the state highways. The wing has eight circles namely [[Chennai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Madurai]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[Tirunelveli]], [[Tiruppur]] and [[Villupuram]].<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.tnhighwaysengineers.com/upload/phone-directory.pdf|title=Highways Circle of Highways Department, Tamil Nadu|publisher=[[Department of Highways and Minor Ports (Tamil Nadu)|Highways Department]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 100%"
|+'''Tamil Nadu Road Network'''
|+State Highway length in Tamil Nadu<ref name="HW"/>
!Class!!Length (km)
!Lanes
!One
!Intermediate
!Two
!Four
!Six
!'''Total'''
|-
|-
|[[National Highway (India)|National highways]]/[[Controlled-access highway|expressways]]||align="right"|4,873
|Length (km)
|39
|366
|10,170
|1,466
|250
|'''12,291'''
|}
 
===Other Roads===
{{See also|List of major district roads in Tamil Nadu}}
Other roads include major district roads (MDR), other district roads (ODR), rural & sugarcane roads and special roads such as [[East Coast Road]], [[Rajiv Gandhi Salai|IT Expressway]], Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), [[Chennai Port – Maduravoyal Expressway]] and [[Outer Ring Road, Chennai|Outer Ring Road Project]]. These roads provide linkage between various towns and centers within districts and connectivity to respective district and taluk headquarters.
 
===Vehicle transport===
As of 2020, Tamil Nadu had 32.1 million registered vehicles.<ref name="RV">{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/665693/total-number-of-vehicles-in-tamil-nadu-india/|title=Number of registered motor vehicles across Tamil Nadu in India from financial year 2007 to 2020|publisher=statista|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>
 
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 100%"
|+Registered vehicle count<ref name="RV"/>
!Year
!2007
!2010
!2015
!2020
|-
|-
|[[State Highway (India)|State highways]]||align="right"|9,384
|Count (mn)
|10.98
|14.06
|22.51
|32.1
|}
 
===Public transport===
[[File:Acbus2.jpg|thumb|200px|An air conditioned bus operated by SETC]]
As of 2020, 32,598 buses are operated with the state transport units operating 20,946 buses along with 7,596 private buses and 4,056 mini buses.<ref name="TNSTC"/> [[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] (TNSTC) run by Government of Tamil Nadu is the primary [[public transport]] bus operator in the state. It was established in 1947 when private buses operating in [[Madras presidency]] were nationalized by the government.<ref name="TNSTC">{{Cite report|url=https://www.tnstc.in/innerHtmls/pdf/Tamil%20Nadu%20STUs-pages.pdf|title=Tamil Nadu STUs|publisher=TNSTC|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref> It operates buses along intra and inter state bus routes, as well as city routes. There are eight divisions of TNSTC including Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai and State Express Transport Corporation.<ref name="TNSTC"/> [[State Express Transport Corporation (Tamil Nadu)|State Express Transport Corporation Limited]] (SETC), established in 1980, runs long-distance express services exceeding 250&nbsp;km and above. It links important cities and other historical, religious and commercial towns, and adjoining states of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]] and the Union Territory of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. SETC operates various classes of services such as semi-deluxe, ultra-deluxe and air-conditioned with advance booking and reservation on all of its routes.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.tnstc.in/innerHtmls/pdf/History-of-SETC.pdf|title=History of SETC|publisher=TNSTC|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>
 
==Rail==
{{Main|Southern Railway zone}}
[[File:Chennai_Central_Station_panorama.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Central]], one of the major railway stations]]
The rail network in Tamil Nadu forms a part of [[Southern Railway zone|Southern Railway]] of [[Indian Railways]]. Southern Railway is headquartered in [[Chennai]] and there are four divisions in the state namely [[Chennai railway division|Chennai]], [[Tiruchirappalli railway division|Tiruchirappalli]], [[Madurai railway division|Madurai]] and [[Salem railway division|Salem]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1|title=Southern Railways, about us|publisher=Southern Railway|access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref> As of 2023, the state had a total railway track length of {{convert|5601|km|0|abbr=on}} covering a route length of {{convert|3858|km|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="SR">{{Cite report|url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1686894847523-System%20Map%202023%20signed.pdf|title=System map, Southern Railway|publisher=[[Southern Railway (India)|Southern Railway]]|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref> There are 532 railway stations in the state with [[Chennai Central]], [[Chennai Egmore railway station|Chennai Egmore]], [[Coimbatore Junction railway station|Coimbatore Junction]] and [[Madurai Junction railway station|Madurai Junction]] being the top revenue earning stations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/plan-your-trip/railways|title=Railways, plan your trip|publisher=Tamil Nadu tourism|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report|url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1659695525713-SR.pdf|title=List of stations|publisher=[[Southern Railway (India)|Southern Railway]]|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref> Indian railways also has a coach manufacturing unit at [[Integral Coach Factory|Chennai]], [[electric locomotive]] sheds at [[Electric Loco Shed, Arakkonam|Arakkonam]], [[Electric Loco Shed, Erode|Erode]] and [[Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram|Royapuram]], [[diesel locomotive]] sheds at [[Diesel Loco Shed, Erode|Erode]], [[Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock|Tiruchirappalli]] and [[Diesel Loco Shed, Tondiarpet|Tondiarpet]], [[Steam locomotive]] shed at [[Nilgiri Mountain Railway|Coonoor]] along with various maintenance depots.
<ref>{{Cite news|title=DNA Exclusive: Is It Time for Indian Railways to Tear Up Ageing Tracks and Old Machinery? |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/dna-exclusive-is-it-time-for-indian-railways-to-tear-up-ageing-tracks-and-old-machinery-2427973.html|publisher=[[Zee Media Corporation]]|date=14 January 2022|access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html|title=Sheds and Workshops|publisher=IRFCA|access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref>
 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 100%"
|+Railway in Tamil Nadu<ref name="SR"/>
!colspan="5"|Route length (km)
!colspan="3"|Track length (km)
|-
|-
|Major district roads||align="right"|11,288
!colspan="3"|[[Broad-gauge railway|Broad Gauge]]
!rowspan="2"|[[Metre-gauge railway|Metre Gauge]]
!rowspan="2"|Total
!rowspan="2"|[[Broad-gauge railway|Broad Gauge]]
!rowspan="2"|[[Metre-gauge railway|Metre Gauge]]
!rowspan="2"|Total
|-
|-
|Other district roads & sugarcane roads||align="right"|36,096
!Electrified
!Non electrified
!Total
|-
|-
|Panchayat roads and other departments roads||align="right"|1,37,399
|style="text-align:center;" |3,476
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |336
|'''Total (approx)'''||align="right"|'''1,99,040'''
|style="text-align:center;" |3,812
|style="text-align:center;" |46
|style="text-align:center;" |3,858
|style="text-align:center;" |5,555
|style="text-align:center;" |46
|style="text-align:center;" |5,601
|}
|}


=== Public Transport ===
===Suburban and MRTS===
[[File:Velachery_Railway_station_June_2010.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System|Chennai MRTS]] was the first MRTS system in India]]
{{Main|Chennai Suburban Railway}}
{{Main|Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System}}
Chennai has a well-established suburban railway network operated by Southern railway, which was established in 1928.<ref name="CSR">{{cite report|title=Brief History of the Division|work=Chennai Division|publisher=Indian Railways—Southern Railways|url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1325745996774-about.pdf|access-date=26 October 2012|lang=en}}</ref> The [[Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)|Mass Rapid Transit System]] (MRTS) is an elevated urban mass transit system established in 1995 operating on a single line from [[Chennai Beach railway station|Chennai Beach]] to [[Velachery railway station|Velachery]].<ref name="CSR"/>


[[Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation]] (TNSTC) is the [[public transport]] bus operator of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]].<ref>http://www.tn.gov.in/transport/cbedivone.htm</ref> It operates buses along intra and inter state bus routes, as well as city routes. TNSTC is the largest government bus transport corporation in India. There are currently 8 divisions in TNSTC including Metropolitan Transport Corporation in [[Chennai]] and State Express Transport Corporation.
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left;" style="font-size: 100%"
|-
!System
!Lines
!Stations
!Length
!Opened
|-
| [[Chennai Suburban Railway|Chennai Suburban]]<ref>{{cite report|url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1623903361519-CHENNAI%20DIVISION%20-%20CATEGORY-2021.pdf|title=List of Stations, Chennai|lang=en|publisher=Southern Railway|access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
| 3
| [[Railway stations in Chennai|53]]
| {{cvt|212|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}}
| 1928
|-
| [[Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System|Chennai MRTS]]<ref name="MRTS">{{cite web|url=https://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/mrts_phase1.html|title=About MRTS|publisher=Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority|access-date=31 August 2023|language=en}}</ref>
| 1
| [[Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System|17]]
| {{cvt|19.715|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}}
| 1995
|}


[[State Express Transport Corporation (Tamil Nadu)|State Express Transport Corporation Limited]] (SETC) formerly known as Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation runs long distance express services exceeding 250&nbsp;km and above throughout the state of Tamil Nadu linking all important capital cities, historical places, religious places and commercial places etc., and adjoining states of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]] and the Union Territory of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. SETC provides advance booking and reservation on all of its routes. SETC operates buses of various classes of services such as semi-deluxe, ultra-deluxe and air-conditioned. [[CMBT]] in [[Chennai]], operated by transport department is one of the largest bus stations in Asia.
===Metro===
[[File:Alstom Metropolis train-set at Guindy Metro station in Chennai.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Metro]] is the only metro system operational in the state]]


=== Private Transport ===
[[File:NMR train at Ketti 05-02-26 75.jpeg|thumb|200px|[[Nilgiri Mountain Railway|NMR]] is the only [[rack railway]] in India and a [[World Heritage Site]]]]
[[Chennai]] is home to around 35-40% of India's total automobile industry and hence it is known as the [[Detroit]] of Asia. It will become one of the world's largest auto hubs by 2016 with a capacity of over 3 million cars annually. [[Tamil Nadu]] has over 17.5 million registered vehicles with nearly 730% growth over the last two decades.<ref>http://archive.asianage.com/chennai/175-crore-vehicles-crowd-tamil-nadu-roads-831</ref> Private bus services are operated in both short and long haul routes by mofussil bus operators.


== Railways ==
{{Main|Chennai Metro}}
{{Main|Southern Railway zone}}
[[Chennai Metro]] is a [[rapid transit]] rail system in Chennai which was opened in 2015. As of 2023, the metro system consists of two operational lines operating across {{cvt|54.1|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}} with [[List of Chennai Metro stations|41]] stations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wcag.chennaimetrorail.org/project-status/|title=Project status of Chennai Metro|publisher=Chennai Metro Rail Limited|access-date=31 August 2023|language=en}}</ref> Chennai metro system is being expanded with a proposed addition of three more lines and extension of {{cvt|116.1|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}}.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Metro's second phase to go up to Poonamallee|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=20 July 2017|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/metros-second-phase-to-go-up-to-poonamallee/article19310471.ece|access-date=1 October 2017}}</ref> Rapid rail projects for [[Coimbatore Metro|Coimbatore]] and [[Madurai Metro|Madurai]] have been proposed.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rajkumar|first1=Varun Venkatesan and Surya|title=Signal remains red for Coimbatore metro rail project|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/Signal-remains-red-for-Coimbatore-metro-rail-project/article17023423.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=6 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Sampath|first=Nirupa |title=Madurai metro rail will cover 29km with 17 stations in phase 1|url=https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2022/11/13/madurai-metro-rail-will-cover-29km-with-17-stations-in-phase-1|access-date=13 November 2022|newspaper=DT next|date=13 November 2023}}</ref>


Tamil Nadu has a good rail network as part of [[Southern Railway (India)|Southern Railway]]. Headquartered at [[Chennai]], the [[Southern Railway Zone (India)|Southern Railway]] network extends over a large area of India's Southern Peninsula, covering the states of Tamil Nadu, [[Kerala]], [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], a small portions of [[Karnataka]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Tamil Nadu has a total railway track length of {{convert|5952|km|0|abbr=on}} and there are 532 railway stations in the state.<ref name="tnrail">[http://www.tn.gov.in/misc/tnataglance.htm#ROAD%20AND%20TRANSPORT Tamil Nadu Railway Statistics].</ref> The system connects it with most major cities in India. Main rail junctions in the state include [[Chennai]], [[Madurai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Erode]], [[Tiruchirapalli]] and [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]].
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 100%"
|-
!Line
!colspan="2"|Terminal
!Opened
!Length<br />(km)
!Stations
|-
| style="background:#{{rail color|Chennai Metro|Blue}}; text-align: center; | [[Blue Line (Chennai Metro)|<span style="color:white;">Blue Line</span>]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Wimco Nagar Depot metro station|Wimco Nagar]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Chennai International Airport metro station|Chennai Airport]]
| style="text-align:center;"|21 September 2016
| style="text-align:center;"|32.65
| style="text-align:center;"|26
|-
| style="background:#{{rail color|Chennai Metro|Green}}; text-align: center; | [[Green Line (Chennai Metro)|<span style="color:white;">Green Line</span>]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central metro station|Chennai Central]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[St. Thomas Mount (Chennai Suburban Railway)|St. Thomas Mount]]
| style="text-align:center;"|29 June 2015
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
!Total
! colspan="3" |
!54.65
!41
|}


=== Mass Rapid Transit System ===
===Mountain railway===
{{Main|Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)}}
{{Main|Nilgiri Mountain Railway}}
[[Nilgiri Mountain Railway]] is a {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}} railway in [[Nilgiris district]] connecting [[Mettupalayam railway station|Mettupalayam]] and [[Udhagamandalam railway station|Udagamandalam]]. It was built by the [[United Kingdom|British]] in 1908 and is operated by the Southern Railways.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nilgirimountain railway |url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?fontColor=black&backgroundColor=LIGHTSTEELBLUE&lang=0&id=0,1,304,374,492,552|publisher=Indian Railways|access-date=21 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944/|title=Mountain Railways of India|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=1 March 2010}}</ref> It is the only [[rack railway]] in India and operates on its own fleet of [[steam locomotive]]s between [[Coonoor]] and [[Udhagamandalam]].<ref name="BBC-Indian-Hill-railways">{{Cite video|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qzzlm|title=Indian Hill Railways: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway|date=21 February 2010|access-date=1 March 2010|medium=TV|publisher=BBC}}</ref> In July 2005, [[UNESCO]] added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Mountain Railways of India]]<ref name=heritageunesco>{{Cite web|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944|title=Mountain Railways of India|access-date=30 April 2006}}</ref>


Chennai, India's fourth-largest urban agglomeration, has a well-established suburban railway network, which dates back to 1931, when services began on the metre-gauge line from Beach to Tambaram. The [[Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)|Mass Rapid Transit System]] (MRTS) is an elevated line of the urban mass transit system (metro-like cityrail) in Chennai (Madras), India. The line currently runs within city from Chennai Beach (Madras Beach) to [[Velachery]], covering a distance of 25&nbsp;km with 21 stations. Despite full technical and logical separation from the [[Chennai Suburban Railway]], the MRTS is operated by the state-owned Southern Railway (SR), a zone of [[Indian Railways]].
==Air==
[[File:Chennai_airport_view_4.jpeg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai International Airport]] is one of the busiest airports in [[South Asia]]]]
[[File:Coimbatore_Airport_2014.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Coimbatore International Airport]] is the second busiest airport in Tamil Nadu]]
There are four [[international airport|international]], and six domestic or private airports in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nocas2.aai.aero/nocas/AAI_Links/Airports-IFR-VFR-200815.pdf|title=List of Indian Airports (NOCAS)|publisher=[[Airports Authority of India]]|access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/basic_page_files/list%20of%20airport%20bilingual.pdf |title=List of Indian Airports |publisher=[[Airports Authority of India]] |access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref> [[Chennai International Airport|Chennai airport]], which is the fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic in India is a major international airport and the main gateway to the state.<ref name="AAI">{{Cite report|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Sep2k23Annex2.pdf|type=pdf|title=Traffic Statistics, September 2023|publisher=Airport Authority of India |access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref> Other international airports in the state include [[Coimbatore International Airport|Coimbatore]], [[Madurai Airport|Madurai]], and [[Tiruchirapalli International Airport|Tiruchirapalli]].<ref name="AAI"/> Domestic flights are operational to certain airports like [[Salem Airport (India)|Salem]] and [[Thoothukudi Airport|Thoothukudi]] while flights are planned to be introduced to more domestic airports by the [[UDAN]] scheme of [[Government of India]].<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/Regional_Connectivity_Scheme_version_4.0%20_Scheme_Document_0.pdf |title=Regional Connectivity Scheme|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref>


=== Chennai Metro ===
{|class="sortable wikitable"style="text-align:left;"style="font-size: 85%"
{{Main|Chennai Metro}}
!style="width:10em;"|Area Served
The [[Chennai Metro]] is a rapid transit rail system in the Tamil Nadu capital city of [[Chennai]]. The Phase I of the project consisting of two corridors is under construction. The elevated section of the project was scheduled to be operational by 2011 and the entire project was scheduled to be completed by the financial year 2014-2015. About 55% of the corridors in Phase I is underground and the remaining elevated. The project is estimated to cost around 14,600 crore (US$3.17 billion) for the two corridors totaling 55&nbsp;km.
!style="width:25em;"|Airport Name
!style="width:5em;"|IATA
!style="width:5em;"|ICAO
!style="width:10em;"|Airport Type
|-
|[[Chennai]]
|[[Chennai International Airport]]
|MAA
|VOMM
|International
|-
|[[Coimbatore]]
|[[Coimbatore International Airport]]
|CJB
|VOCB
|International
|-
|[[Hosur]]
|[[Hosur Aerodrome]]
|
|VO95
|State/Private
|-
|[[Madurai]]
|[[Madurai Airport]]
|IXM
|VOMD
|International
|-
|[[Neyveli]]
|[[Neyveli Airport]]
|NVY
|VONY
|State/Private
|-
|[[Salem, India|Salem]]
|[[Salem Airport (India)|Salem Airport]]
|SXV
|VOSM
|Domestic
|-
|[[Thanjavur]]
|[[Thanjavur Air Force Station|Thanjavur Airport]]
|TJV
|VOTJ
|Domestic (CE)
|-
|[[Thoothukkudi]]
|[[Thoothukudi Airport]]
|TCR
|VOTK
|Domestic
|-
|[[Tiruchirappalli]]
|[[Tiruchirappalli International Airport]]
|TRZ
|VOTR
|International
|-
|[[Vellore]]
|[[Vellore Airport]]
|
|VOVR
|Domestic
|}


== Airways ==
The region comes under the purview of the [[Southern Air Command, Indian Air Force|Southern Air Command]] of the [[Indian Air Force]]. The Air Force operates three air bases in the state{{nbsp}}[[Sulur Air Force Station|Sulur]], [[Tambaram Air Force Station|Tambaram]] and [[Thanjavur Air Force Station|Thanjavur]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Air Force Commands|url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/zonal-maps/|publisher=[[Indian Air Force]]|access-date=29 June 2010|language=en}}</ref> The [[Indian Navy]] operates airbases at [[INS Rajali|Arakkonam]], [[INS Parundu|Uchipuli]] and Chennai.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Organisation of Southern Naval Command |url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/organisation-southern-naval-command-kochi|publisher=[[Indian Navy]]|access-date=26 August 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ENC Authorities & Units|url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/enc-authorities-units|publisher=[[Indian Navy]]|access-date=26 October 2015|language=en}}</ref>
Tamil Nadu has a major international airport [[Chennai International Airport]], which is the fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic and is the third largest cargo hub in India. Other international airports present in the state are [[Coimbatore International Airport]] and [[Tiruchirapalli International Airport]]. [[Madurai Airport]] is a [[customs airport]] with limited international flights. [[Neyveli Airport]], [[Salem Airport (India)|Salem Airport]] and [[Tuticorin Airport]] are domestic airports. Increased industrial activity has given rise to an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement which has been growing at over 18 per cent per year.<ref name="tntransport">{{cite web|url=http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/indian-states/tamilnadu/EconoInfra.htm|title=Transportation in Tamil Nadu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225103911/http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/indian-states/tamilnadu/EconoInfra.htm|archive-date=2007-02-25}}</ref>


== Waterways ==
==Water==
[[File:Port_of_Chennai,_India_-_panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chennai Port]], one of the busiest ports in the east coast of India]]
{{See|Coastline of Tamil Nadu}}
{{See|Coastline of Tamil Nadu}}
Tamil Nadu has three major [[seaport]]s at [[Chennai Port|Chennai]], [[Ennore Port|Ennore]], [[Tuticorin Port Trust|Thoothukudi]]. There are 11 other ports.<ref name=Info>{{cite web|url=http://iomenvis.nic.in/index3.aspx?sslid=882&subsublinkid=111&langid=1&mid=1|title=Centre for Coastal Zone Management and Coastal Shelter Belt|publisher= Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University Chennai, Sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Govt of India|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="tnstat">{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/st_tamilnadu.php |title=Tamil Nadu - States and Union Territories - Know India: National Portal of India |publisher=India.gov.in |date=2009-03-31 |access-date=2010-11-04}}</ref> Chennai Port is an artificial harbor situated on the Coromandel coast and is India's second busiest container hub, handling general industrial cargo, automobiles, etc.<ref>{{cite news
Tamil Nadu has {{convert|1,076|km}} long coastline and is the second longest [[coastline]] in the country after [[Gujarat]].<ref name=Info>{{Cite web|url=http://iomenvis.nic.in/index3.aspx?sslid=882&subsublinkid=111&langid=1&mid=1|title=Centre for Coastal Zone Management and Coastal Shelter Belt|publisher=Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref> There are three major ports [[Chennai Port|Chennai]], [[Kamarajar Port Limited|Ennore]] and [[V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority|Thoothukudi]] which are managed by the [[Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (India)|Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways]] of Government of India.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://dwiep.ncscm.res.in/images/port.pdf|title=Ports of India|access-date=1 November 2023|publisher=[[Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (India)|Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways]], [[Government of India]]}}</ref> There is an intermediate sea port at [[Nagapattinam Port|Nagapattinam]] and sixteen other minor ports which are managed by the department of highways and minor ports of Government of Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Policy"/> Tamil Nadu forms part of both the [[Eastern Naval Command]] and [[Southern Naval Command]] the Indian Navy which has a major base at Chennai and logistics support base at [[Thoothukudi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.joinindiannavy.gov.in/en/about-us/basic-organization.html|title=Basic Organization|publisher=Indian Navy|access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/organisation-southern-naval-command-kochi|title=Southern naval command|publisher=[[Indian Navy]]|access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref>
| url = http://app.mfa.gov.sg/pr/read_content.asp?View,4753,
| publisher = Business Times
| title = Gateway to India for Singapore firms
| date = 6 July 2006
| access-date = 2007-09-13}}</ref> Ennore Port handles all the coal and ore traffic in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="ennoreport">[http://www.ennoreport.gov.in/ Official website for Ennore Port].</ref><ref name="tutiport">[http://www.tuticorinport.gov.in/ Official website for Tuticorin Port] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731210325/http://www.tuticorinport.gov.in/ |date=2008-07-31 }}.</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Transport in India]]
* [[Transport in India]]


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{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
{{Transport in Tamil Nadu}}
{{Transport in Tamil Nadu}}
{{Transport in India}}
{{Transport in India}}
{{Tamil Nadu}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport in Tamil Nadu}}
[[Category:Transport in Tamil Nadu| ]]
[[Category:Transport in Tamil Nadu| ]]
[[Category:Transport in India by state or union territory]]
[[Category:Transport in India by state or union territory|Tamil Nadu]]

Latest revision as of 09:47, 15 March 2026


Tamil Nadu, a state in South India, has a developed, dense, and modern transportation infrastructure, encompassing both public and private transport. Its capital city Chennai is well-connected by land, sea, and air and serves as a major hub for entry into South India.

Road[edit | edit source]

Map indicating Highways network of Tamil Nadu
Main article: Road network in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has an extensive road network covering about 2.71 lakh km as of 2023 with a road density of 2,084.71 kilometres (1,295.38 mi) per 1000 km2 which is higher than the national average of 1,926.02 kilometres (1,196.77 mi) per 1000 km2.[1] The Highways Department (HD) of the state was established in April 1946 and was later renamed as Highways Department on 30 October 2008.[2] The agency is primarily responsible for construction and maintenance of national highways, state highways, major district roads and other roads in the state. It operates through eleven wings with 120 divisions and 450 subdivisions.[3] The agency maintains 73,187 kilometres (45,476 mi) of highways in the state.[4]

Road length in TN[4]
Type NH SH MDR ODR OR Total
Length (km) 6,805 12,291 12,034 42,057 197,542 271,000

National highways[edit | edit source]

Kathipara flyover Cloverleaf interchange in Chennai
See also: National Highways

The ‘’National Highways Wing’’ of the highways department of Tamil Nadu was established in 1971 to look after the works of improving, maintaining and renewing of National Highways laid down by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).[5] There are 48 national highways of length 6,805 kilometres (4,228 mi) in the state.[6]

National Highway length in Tamil Nadu[4]
Lanes Two Four Six Eight Total
Length (km) 3,814 2,649 333 9 6,805

State highways[edit | edit source]

See also: List of state highways in Tamil Nadu

Roads which connect district headquarters, important towns and national highways in the state are classified as state highways. Construction and maintenance wing of the highways department is responsible for the construction, maintenance of the state highways. The wing has eight circles namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur and Villupuram.[7]

State Highway length in Tamil Nadu[4]
Lanes One Intermediate Two Four Six Total
Length (km) 39 366 10,170 1,466 250 12,291

Other Roads[edit | edit source]

See also: List of major district roads in Tamil Nadu

Other roads include major district roads (MDR), other district roads (ODR), rural & sugarcane roads and special roads such as East Coast Road, IT Expressway, Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), Chennai Port – Maduravoyal Expressway and Outer Ring Road Project. These roads provide linkage between various towns and centers within districts and connectivity to respective district and taluk headquarters.

Vehicle transport[edit | edit source]

As of 2020, Tamil Nadu had 32.1 million registered vehicles.[8]

Registered vehicle count[8]
Year 2007 2010 2015 2020
Count (mn) 10.98 14.06 22.51 32.1

Public transport[edit | edit source]

An air conditioned bus operated by SETC

As of 2020, 32,598 buses are operated with the state transport units operating 20,946 buses along with 7,596 private buses and 4,056 mini buses.[9] Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) run by Government of Tamil Nadu is the primary public transport bus operator in the state. It was established in 1947 when private buses operating in Madras presidency were nationalized by the government.[9] It operates buses along intra and inter state bus routes, as well as city routes. There are eight divisions of TNSTC including Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai and State Express Transport Corporation.[9] State Express Transport Corporation Limited (SETC), established in 1980, runs long-distance express services exceeding 250 km and above. It links important cities and other historical, religious and commercial towns, and adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry. SETC operates various classes of services such as semi-deluxe, ultra-deluxe and air-conditioned with advance booking and reservation on all of its routes.[10]

Rail[edit | edit source]

Main article: Southern Railway zone
Chennai Central, one of the major railway stations

The rail network in Tamil Nadu forms a part of Southern Railway of Indian Railways. Southern Railway is headquartered in Chennai and there are four divisions in the state namely Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai and Salem.[11] As of 2023, the state had a total railway track length of 5,601 km (3,480 mi) covering a route length of 3,858 km (2,397 mi).[12] There are 532 railway stations in the state with Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore Junction and Madurai Junction being the top revenue earning stations.[13][14] Indian railways also has a coach manufacturing unit at Chennai, electric locomotive sheds at Arakkonam, Erode and Royapuram, diesel locomotive sheds at Erode, Tiruchirappalli and Tondiarpet, Steam locomotive shed at Coonoor along with various maintenance depots. [15][16]

Railway in Tamil Nadu[12]
Route length (km) Track length (km)
Broad Gauge Metre Gauge Total Broad Gauge Metre Gauge Total
Electrified Non electrified Total
3,476 336 3,812 46 3,858 5,555 46 5,601

Suburban and MRTS[edit | edit source]

Chennai MRTS was the first MRTS system in India
Main article: Chennai Suburban Railway
Main article: Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System

Chennai has a well-established suburban railway network operated by Southern railway, which was established in 1928.[17] The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) is an elevated urban mass transit system established in 1995 operating on a single line from Chennai Beach to Velachery.[17]

System Lines Stations Length Opened
Chennai Suburban[18] 3 53 212 km (132 mi) 1928
Chennai MRTS[19] 1 17 19.715 km (12.250 mi) 1995

Metro[edit | edit source]

Chennai Metro is the only metro system operational in the state
NMR is the only rack railway in India and a World Heritage Site
Main article: Chennai Metro

Chennai Metro is a rapid transit rail system in Chennai which was opened in 2015. As of 2023, the metro system consists of two operational lines operating across 54.1 km (33.6 mi) with 41 stations.[20] Chennai metro system is being expanded with a proposed addition of three more lines and extension of 116.1 km (72.1 mi).[21] Rapid rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai have been proposed.[22][23]

Line Terminal Opened Length
(km) 		Stations
style="background:#Template:Rail color; text-align: center; | Blue Line Wimco Nagar Chennai Airport 21 September 2016 32.65 26
style="background:#Template:Rail color; text-align: center; | Green Line Chennai Central St. Thomas Mount 29 June 2015 22 17
Total 54.65 41

Mountain railway[edit | edit source]

Main article: Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge railway in Nilgiris district connecting Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. It was built by the British in 1908 and is operated by the Southern Railways.[24][25] It is the only rack railway in India and operates on its own fleet of steam locomotives between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam.[26] In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Mountain Railways of India[27]

Air[edit | edit source]

Chennai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in South Asia
Coimbatore International Airport is the second busiest airport in Tamil Nadu

There are four international, and six domestic or private airports in Tamil Nadu.[28][29] Chennai airport, which is the fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic in India is a major international airport and the main gateway to the state.[30] Other international airports in the state include Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirapalli.[30] Domestic flights are operational to certain airports like Salem and Thoothukudi while flights are planned to be introduced to more domestic airports by the UDAN scheme of Government of India.[31]

Area Served Airport Name IATA ICAO Airport Type
Chennai Chennai International Airport MAA VOMM International
Coimbatore Coimbatore International Airport CJB VOCB International
Hosur Hosur Aerodrome VO95 State/Private
Madurai Madurai Airport IXM VOMD International
Neyveli Neyveli Airport NVY VONY State/Private
Salem Salem Airport SXV VOSM Domestic
Thanjavur Thanjavur Airport TJV VOTJ Domestic (CE)
Thoothukkudi Thoothukudi Airport TCR VOTK Domestic
Tiruchirappalli Tiruchirappalli International Airport TRZ VOTR International
Vellore Vellore Airport VOVR Domestic

The region comes under the purview of the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. The Air Force operates three air bases in the state Sulur, Tambaram and Thanjavur.[32] The Indian Navy operates airbases at Arakkonam, Uchipuli and Chennai.[33][34]

Water[edit | edit source]

Chennai Port, one of the busiest ports in the east coast of India
Further information: Coastline of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has 1,076 kilometres (669 mi) long coastline and is the second longest coastline in the country after Gujarat.[35] There are three major ports Chennai, Ennore and Thoothukudi which are managed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of Government of India.[36] There is an intermediate sea port at Nagapattinam and sixteen other minor ports which are managed by the department of highways and minor ports of Government of Tamil Nadu.[1] Tamil Nadu forms part of both the Eastern Naval Command and Southern Naval Command the Indian Navy which has a major base at Chennai and logistics support base at Thoothukudi.[37][38]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Highway policy (PDF) (Report). Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Highways Department renamed as Highways and Minor Ports Department (PDF) (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  3. ↑ Wings of Highways Department (Report). Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Tamil Nadu highways, about us". Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "National Highways wing". Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Details of national highways (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Highways Circle of Highways Department, Tamil Nadu (PDF) (Report). Highways Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Number of registered motor vehicles across Tamil Nadu in India from financial year 2007 to 2020". statista. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Tamil Nadu STUs (PDF) (Report). TNSTC. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  10. ↑ History of SETC (PDF) (Report). TNSTC. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Southern Railways, about us". Southern Railway. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 System map, Southern Railway (PDF) (Report). Southern Railway. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Railways, plan your trip". Tamil Nadu tourism. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  14. ↑ List of stations (PDF) (Report). Southern Railway. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "DNA Exclusive: Is It Time for Indian Railways to Tear Up Ageing Tracks and Old Machinery?". Zee Media Corporation. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Sheds and Workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Brief History of the Division (PDF). Chennai Division (Report). Indian Railways—Southern Railways. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  18. ↑ List of Stations, Chennai (PDF) (Report). Southern Railway. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "About MRTS". Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  20. ↑ "Project status of Chennai Metro". Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "Metro's second phase to go up to Poonamallee". The Hindu. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  22. ↑ Rajkumar, Varun Venkatesan and Surya. "Signal remains red for Coimbatore metro rail project". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  23. ↑ Sampath, Nirupa (13 November 2023). "Madurai metro rail will cover 29km with 17 stations in phase 1". DT next. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "Nilgirimountain railway". Indian Railways. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  25. ↑ "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  26. ↑ Indian Hill Railways: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (TV). BBC. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  27. ↑ "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 30 April 2006.
  28. ↑ "List of Indian Airports (NOCAS)" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  29. ↑ "List of Indian Airports" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Traffic Statistics, September 2023 (PDF) (pdf). Airport Authority of India. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  31. ↑ Regional Connectivity Scheme (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Indian Air Force Commands". Indian Air Force. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  33. ↑ "Organisation of Southern Naval Command". Indian Navy. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  34. ↑ "ENC Authorities & Units". Indian Navy. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  35. ↑ "Centre for Coastal Zone Management and Coastal Shelter Belt". Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  36. ↑ Ports of India (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  37. ↑ "Basic Organization". Indian Navy. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  38. ↑ "Southern naval command". Indian Navy. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
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