The Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur main line (via Kumbakonam ) connects Chennai Egmore and Thanjavur Junction both in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur main line is part of Chennai–Viluppuram–Chidambaram-Mayiladuthurai–Kumbakonam–Thanjavur–Tiruchirappalli line. There are several branch lines (included here): Chengalpattu–Arakkonam links to Chennai Central–Bengaluru City line, Guntakal–Chennai Egmore section, Viluppuram–Puducherry, Cuddalore–Virudhachalam, Mayiladuthurai–Thiruvarur, and Peralam–Nagapattinam sectors. The line connects the Kaveri delta to Chennai.

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Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur main line
Tiruchchirapalli–Chennai Cholan Express is the prestigious train on Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur route.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Tamil Nadu
Termini	Chennai Egmore (MS) Thanjavur Junction (TJ)
Service
Operator(s)	Southern Railway zone
History
Opened	1880; 144 years ago (1880)
Technical
Track length	Main line: 351 km (218 mi) Branch lines: CGLTooltip Chengalpattu Junction railway station–AJJTooltip Arakkonam Junction railway station (63 kilometres (39 mi)) VMTooltip Viluppuram Junction railway station–PDYTooltip Puducherry railway station (38 kilometres (24 mi)) CUPJTooltip Cuddalore Port Junction railway station–VRITooltip Vriddhachalam Junction railway station (61 kilometres (38 mi)) MVTooltip Kumbakonam railway station–TVRTooltip Thiruvarur Junction railway station (39 kilometres (24 mi))
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	Yes
Highest elevation	Chennai Egmore 8 metres (26 ft) Thanjavur 60 metres (200 ft)
Route map Legend km Chennai Central 11 Basin Bridge 9 to Chennai–Bangalore line Chennai diamond junction Washermanpet 7 to Gudur–Chennai section 6 Royapuram 4 Chennai Beach 3 Chennai Fort 1 Chennai Park 0 Chennai Egmore 2 Chetput Cooum River 4 Nungambakkam 5 Kodambakkam 7 Mambalam 8 Saidapet Adyar River State Highway 48 11 Guindy 13 St. Thomas Mount 14 Pazhavanthangal 16 Meenambakkam / Chennai Airport 17 Tirusulam Arakkonam Junction 63 19 Pallavaram on Chennai–Bangalore line 21 Chromepet Arakkonam Naval Air Station 23 Tambaram Sanatorium Kollar River 25 Tambaram Takkolam 56 NH 32 Tirumalpur 49 28 Perungalathur Kanchipuram 36 30 Vandalur Kanchipuram East 35 33 Urapakkam Nathapettai 29 36 Guduvancheri State Highway 48 39 Potheri Walajabad 22 41 Kattankulathur Pazhava Seevaram 15 43 Maraimalai Nagar Kamarajar Palur 12 Ford factory Villiyambakkam 10 47 Singaperumal Koil Radipalayam 8 52 Paranur 56 / 0 Chengalpattu Junction Palar River 59 Tirumani 64 Otivakkam 69 Padalam 76 Karunghuzi 80 Madurantakam 87 Pakkam 91 Melmaruvathur 94 Acharapakkam 100 Tozhuppedu NH 32 105 Karasangal 110 Olakur 114 Panchalam 121 Tindivanam NH 32 131 Mailam 136 NediMozhiyanur Thondi River Sankara Parani River 139 Perani 147 Vikravandi 152 Mundiyampakkam NH 45 to Katpadi Junction on West South line 158 / 0 Viluppuram Junction NH 332 to Puducherry to Chord line 166 Serndanur Thenpennai River 172 Thiruthuraiyur NH 36 178 Panruti State Highway 9 186 Melpattambakkam 191 Nellikuppam 196 Varakalpattu 201 Thirupadiripuliyur State Highway 68 205 / 0 Cuddalore Port Junction Kullanchavandi 14 209 Capper Quarry Kurinjipadi 25 NH 332 NH 36 217 Alapakkam Vadalur 30 Alapakkam Oil Refinery Neyyeli 38 225 Puduchattiram Neyyeli Lignite Mines 232 Parangipettai Uttangal Mangalam 45 Vellar River to Chord line 238 Killai to Salem 243 Chidambaram State Highway 69 248 Vellampadugai Vriddhachalam Junction 58 Kollidam River Vellar River 250 Kollidam to Chord line 257 Arasur 261 Sirkazhi 266 Vaithiswaran Koil State Highway 150 274 Anandatandyapuram 276 Nidur Kaveri 280 / 0 Mayiladuthurai Junction Malliyam 284 8 Manganallur Kuttalam 288 12 Kollamangudi Narasingampet 295 16 / 0 Peralam Junction State Highway 22 Aduthurai 300 19 Punthotam Tiruvidaimaruthur 303 24 Nannilam Tirunagesvaram 306 31 Virkudi State Highway 66 36 Koddikalpalayam Kumbakonam 311 Darasuram 315 39 Thiruvarur Junction Swamimalai 318 8 Ambagarattur Sundaraperumal Kovil 320 13 Pattakudi Kudamuruti River 16 Thirunallaru Papanasam 324 21 Karai Kovilpthu Pandaravadai 327 23 Karaikal Ayyampet 333 28 Tirumalairayanapattinam Pasupatikovil 335 34 Nagore Vettar River 39 Vellipalayam Titte 341 40 Nagapattinam Beach Thanjavur Junction 350 41 Nagapattinam Junction on Tiruchirappalli–Nagapattinam line

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The "main line" of the metre-gauge railway system in the Coromandel Coast connected Chennai with Tiruchchirappalli via Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, and Thanjavur junctions.^[1] The Chennai–Mayiladuthurai–Thanjavur–Tiruchirappalli line continues to be thought of as the "main line".^[2][3]

In 1861 the Great Southern of India Railway (GSIR) built the 125 km (78 mi)-long 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) wide 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge line between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirapalli (then known as Trichinopoly) and the line was opened to traffic next year.^[4] It was a new development south of Chennai. After taking over of GSIR by South Indian Railway Company in 1874, the Nagapattinam–Tiruchirapalli line was converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)-wide metre gauge in 1875.^[5] Again after conversion, the 125 km (78 mi)-long 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)-wide broad-gauge line between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirapalli was opened in 2001–02

The South India Railway Company laid a 715 km (444 mi)-long metre-gauge trunk line from Chennai to Thoothukudi via Viluppuram, Cuddalore Port (then known as Cuddalore Junction), Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruchirapalli (then known as Trichinopoly), Madurai, Virudhunagar in 1880.^[6] The 84 km (52 mi)-long Tindivanam–Cuddalore Port (then known as Cuddalore Junction) sector, 27.60 km (17 mi) long Cuddalore Port–Porto Novo sector and 19.71 km (12 mi) long Shyali–Mayiladuthurai sector were opened in 1877, thereby connecting Tindivanam to the already opened Tiruchirappalli–Nagapattinam line.^[7] But during gauge conversion in years 1995–2000 the 84 km (52 mi)-long Tindivanam–Cuddalore Port (then known as Cuddalore Junction) sector, 27.60 km (17 mi)-long Cuddalore Port–Porto Novo sector & 19.71 km (12 mi)-long Shyali–Mayiladuthurai sector were never made into 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)-wide 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge line.

Following an agreement between the British and the French, a 38 km (24 mi)-long metre-gauge line was laid between Puducherry and Viluppuram around 1877–1879.^[5]

A 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)-wide line was laid between Arakkonam and Kanchipuram (then known as Conjeevaram) in 1865 by Indian Tramway Company.^[4] The line was converted to metre gauge in 1878 and opened in 1891. The Chengalpattu–Walajabad line was opened in 1880.^[7]

Viluppuram was connected to Vriddhachalam in 1927 by a 55 km (34 mi)-long railway track.^[7]

The 36 km (22 mi)-long Mayiladuthurai–Tharangambadi (then known as Tranquebar) line which was opened by British for people in 1926 and was closed in 1987 for broad gauge conversion.^[8] But the project is standing still for 33 years now

A major part of the South Line, Chennai Suburban is part of this line. The area south of Chennai was served by a single line shared by passenger and goods trains till 1931. Electric trains in the sector were planned as early as 1923. Construction work began in 1926 and was completed in 1931. A new line for electric trains was added between Chennai Beach and Egmore, and two lines were added between Egmore and Tambaram.^[9] The first MG EMU services were run on 1.5 kV DC overhead lines on 11 May 1931.^[10] In the 1960s the Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Viluppuram sector was converted from 1.5 kV DC traction to 25 kV AC traction and limited EMU services were extended to Chengalpet. In 1969, an additional metre-gauge track was laid between Tambaram and Chengalpet. Starting with the 1995s the entire area was converted to broad gauge.^[10]

With the conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge, the entire 494 km (307 mi)-long Egmore–Tambaram–Tiruchirapalli–Dindigul–Madurai sector was completed, broad-gauge passenger traffic was initiated in March 2001. The left over conversion work was then completed and the last metre-gauge EMU service ran between Tambaram and Egmore on 1 July 2004.^[11]

Conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge of the Viluppuram–Puducherry branch line was completed in 2004. The Cuddalore Port Junction–Vriddhachalam sector was converted in 2003.^[12] After conversion work of the Thanjavur–Tiruvarur broad-gauge section was opened to traffic in 2006 and Tiruvarur–Nagore section in 2010.^[13]

The 192 km (119 mi)-long Viluppuram–Thanjavur was converted to broad gauge in 2010.^[14]

A broad-gauge line (conversion from metre-gauge) connecting Chengalpattu with Arakkonam was built in 1999–2000. The Thakolam–Arakkonam sector had to be realigned because of its proximity to the Arakkonam Naval Air Station. Thakolam–Arakkonam sector as diverted another route start near Thakolam to Melpadi Goods Yard route end Complete 2019. This new route fully electrified complete Chengalpattu–Arakkonam line ^[15][16]

The metre-gauge track of Madras Beach–Tambaram sector was electrified in 1931 with 1.5 kV DC overhead system. In the 1950s, Indian Railways decided on using 25 kV AC overhead system on a national basis. The Madras Beach–Tambaram sector was converted to 25 kV AC overhead system in 1967.^[17][18]

The Tambaram–Chengalpattu–Viluppuram sector was electrified in 1964–65 and then again in 2000–01 (after gauge conversion) along with the Chengalpattu–Kanchipuram sector.^[18]

The broad-gauge Viluppuram–Puducherry line was electrified in 2006.^[19]

The broad-gauge Viluppuram–Tiruchirapalli sector was electrified in 2010.^[20]

New electrification survey in 2012–13 had been sanctioned in the Railway Budget for the Karaikkal/Karaikkal port–Thiruvarur–Thanjavur–Tiruchchirappalli and Nagapattinam–Velankkani sectors.^[21]

The execution of electrification of Villupuram–Cuddalore Port–Chidambaram-Mayiladuturai–Kumbakonam–Thanjavur and Mayiladuturai–Thiruvarur has been given to Rail Vikas Nigam.^[22]

The main line (Villupuram to Tiruchirappalli via Mayiladuthurai) electrification was completed in several parts [as Tiruchirappalli to Thanjavur, Villupuram to Cuddalore Port Junction, Cuddalore Port Junction to Mayiladuthurai Junction and then Mayiladuthurai Junction to Thanjavur Junction] and opened for end to end travel for public on 14 November 2020.

The Great Southern Railway of India and Carnatic Railway merged to form South Indian Railway Company in 1874.^[5]

In the early 1950s legislation was passed authorizing the central government to take over independent railway systems that were there. On 14 April 1951 the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company and Mysuru State Railway were merged to form Southern Railway. Subsequently, Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was also merged into Southern Railway. On 2 October 1966, the Secunderabad, Solapur, Hubli and Vijayawada Divisions, covering the former territories of Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway and certain portions of Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway were separated from Southern Railway to form the South Central Railway. In 1977, Guntakal division of Southern Railway was transferred to South Central Railway and the Solapur division transferred to Central Railway. Amongst the seven new zones created in 2010 was South Western Railway, which was carved out of Southern Railway.^[23]