Kumbakonam railway station

Kumbakonam railway station is a railway station serving the city of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. The station is a part of the Tiruchirappalli railway division of the Southern Railway Zone and connects the city to various parts of the state as well as the rest of the country.The station was declared as cleanest railway station in Tamil Nadu and ranked fifth best in the national level in 2016. It is classified as an "'A' category railway station" in the Trichy railway division of the Southern Railway Zone.It is one of the busiest and top revenue generating stations of the Southern Railway zone after Tiruchirapalli TPJ, Thanjavur TJ in Tiruchirapalli division.[2] The Shradha Sethu express connected Kumbakonam to Ayodhya. The well-known Mahamaham tank is 1 km (0.62 mi) from the railway station.

Kumbakonam
Indian Railways station
Kumbakonam Railway Station Main entrance
General information
LocationKamaraj Road , Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu
India
Coordinates10.9544°N 79.3894°E / 10.9544; 79.3894
Elevation27 metres (89 ft)
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated bySouthern Railway zone
Line(s)
  • Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur main line
Platforms3
Tracks4
ConnectionsAuto, taxi stand, bus stand
Construction
Structure typeStandard
ParkingAvailable
AccessibleDisabled access
Other information
StatusFunctioning
Station codeKMU
Zone(s) Southern Railway zone
Division(s) Tiruchirappalli
Fare zoneIndian Railways
History
OpenedFebruary 15, 1877 (1877-02-15)[1]
ElectrifiedYes 25Kva 50HZ
Passengers
10000/per day
Services
30 Express trains and 10 Passenger trains
Location
Kumbakonam railway station is located in India
Kumbakonam railway station
Kumbakonam railway station
Location in Tamil Nadu
Kumbakonam railway station is located in Tamil Nadu
Kumbakonam railway station
Kumbakonam railway station
Kumbakonam railway station (Tamil Nadu)

History

The Kumbakonam railway station opened to passenger service on 15 February 1877, when the then South Indian Railway commenced rail traffic between Thanjavur and Mayavaram (now Mayiladuthurai) for a distance of 70.42 km (43.76 mi).

Swami Vivekananda, on a yatra from Rameswaram, alighted at Kumbakonam station on January 26, 1897, and it was on that day in Kumbakonam that he gave his "Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached" speech to spur the people of the nation. A plaque installed by the Railways in the station proclaims the importance of the event.

Development

After serving the railways for decades, the British-era vintage metre-gauge line was scrapped and the last passenger train on those tracks was operated between Kumbakonam and Chennai Egmore on 1 April 2004 following which the broad-gauge tracks were laid.

Gradually, the station came to have several facilities, including water filling for coaches and steam engines to enjoy the status of an important junction. Kumbakonam station developed quickly, and the works were implemented ahead of the Mahamaham festival in 2004.

Now, a total of 36 trains patronise the station every day serving more than 5,000 passengers. Due to the strong patronage by the region's passengers and commuters, Kumbakonam has enjoyed "Grade A" railway station status. Kumbakonam station is also rated as the fifth-cleanest station in India and the cleanest station in Tamil Nadu, according to the survey of major railway stations for cleanliness ranking in 2016 commissioned by the Railways. The Thanjavur District Rail Users' Association honoured the Railway officials and conservancy staff for cleanliness front on the occasion.[3]

In 2022, a Nagpur-based technical consultancy was selected to prepare a plan to improve the Kumbakonam station[4] which has been submitted to the Southern Railway Construction Organization in February 2023.[2]

Location and layout

The railway station is located off the Kamarajar Road, Kumbakonam. The nearest bus depot is located in Kumbakonam while the nearest airport, Tiruchirappalli International Airport, is situated 81 kilometres (50 mi) away in Tiruchirappalli.

Lines

Suburban stations
  • Darasuramn (DSM)
  • Sundaraperumal Kovil (SPL)
  • Swamimalai (SWI)
  • Papanasam (PML)
  • Thirunageswaram (TRM)
  • Tiruvidaimaruthur (TDR)
  • Aduthurai (ATD)

Connections

The railway station is about 900 m (0.56 mi) away from Central Bus Station and 1,000 m (0.62 mi) away from Town Bus stand. There are frequent town buses and mini bus services directly connected to Town Bus stand and Central Bus station.

References
  1. "Station Formation Day observed". The Hindu. 15 February 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  2. "Draft plan prepared for redevelopment of Kumbakonam Railway Station". The Hindu. 6 February 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  3. Renganathan L (17 February 2017). "Cleanest railway station in Tamil Nadu turns 141". The Hindu. Kumbakonam. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  4. "Technical consultancy firm selected for redevelopment of Kumbakonam station". The Hindu. 28 August 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
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