Teni Junction railway station

Teni Junction railway station is a railway station on Madurai–Bodinayakkanur branch line, serving the town of Theni in Tamil Nadu state, India. Currently it is closed, as the line is under gauge conversion, from metre to broad gauge. It is one of the defunct junction railway stations in Southern Railway zone. It falls under Madurai Division of the Indian Railways.[1]

Teni Junction தேனி தொடர்வண்டி நிலையம்
Indian Railways station
Other names	Theni railway station
Location	Railway Station Rd, Teni Allinagaram, Theni, Theni dt., Tamil Nadu Madurai Division India
Elevation	348 metres (1,142 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Southern Railway
Line(s)	Madurai–Bodinayakkanur branch line
Platforms	1 (Until 2010), 2 after gauge Conversion.
Tracks	2
Train operators	Indian Railways
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on-ground station)
Parking	Yes
Disabled access
Other information
Status	Closed (line under gauge conversion)
Station code	TENI
Zone(s)	Southern Railway
Division(s)	Madurai
IATA code	TENI
Fare zone	Southern Railway
History
Opened	1909
Opening	1909
Closed	1915–1928 1942–1954 2011 – under construction till date
Rebuilt	Expected in March 2021
Electrified	No
Services
Preceding station   Indian Railways   Following station Vallandhi Road Madurai–Bodinayakkanur branch line Boothipuram Halt
Route map km to Dindigul Junction 0 Madurai Junction to Manamadurai Junction to Virudhunagar Junction Nagamalai 12.45 Vadapalanji Karumathur Sikkampatti 36.73 Usilampatti Doddappanayakkanur 57.60 Andipatti Vallandhi Road to Dindigul Junction 74.91 Teni Junction to Kumily Boothipuram 89.63 Bodinayakkanur

It is one of the rare railway stations in India where all the historic Indian gauges 610mm, 762mm, 1000mm are used. Currently it is being converted to 1676mm broad gauge.

Lines

This is a junction railway station of Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line. Currently it is under gauge conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge. The metre-gauge tracks have already been removed.

A new line is planned to be constructed from Dindigul Junction to Kumily via Periyakulam, Theni, Cumbum.[2][3]

History

Teni Junction railway station was inaugurated on 1909 as a light railway line (610mm), later that line was closed due to World War I in 1915. Later Teni railway station was inaugurated together with the Madurai–Bodinayakkanur 90 km branch line on 20 November 1928 as narrow-gauge railway (762mm) by the Madras Provincial revenue member Norman Marjoribanks.[4] Later in 1942, during the Second World War, the line was closed and the tracks were removed. After India's Independence, between 1953 and 1954, the track was restored as a metre-gauge railway.[5]

The Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line was sanctioned for gauge conversion, from metre-gauge (1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in)) to broad gauge (1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)). It was closed on 1 of January 2011, expecting to reopen it by 2012, but due to lack of funds, the project advanced at very slow pace. Finally, on 23 of January 2020, the first stretch between Madurai Junction and Usilampatti (37 km) was inaugurated, after passing the inspection of the Commission of Railway Safety. The remaining 53 km Usilampatti–Bodinayakkanur section is expected to reopen in April 2020.[6] In December 2020 Usilambatti to Andipatti section of the railway line got materialised and was inaugurated, after passing the inspection of the Commission of Railway Safety.[7]

During 1909 a narrow-gauge railway line existed between Kodaikanal Road railway station to Kumily Lower Camp via Nilakottai, Periyakulam, Theni, Cumbum. It had several branch lines in-between Periyakulam to Kodaikanal foothills and theni to Kottagudi. Near Kottagudi, the Kundala Valley Railway line's Topslip railway station is present at a distance of 5 km.[8][9] This railway line had been closed due to World War I as well as due to poor patronage.

The current railway line alignment between theni railway station to Bodinayakkanur railway station follows the same alignment of the old railway line which existed during 1910 between Theni to Kottagudi branch railway line. The new railway line is constructed from Theni to Madurai Junction later in 1928 as Madurai–Bodinayakkanur Branch Line, now this line is exist and is currently under Gauge conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge. The old railway line from Kodaikanal Road to Kumily is dismantled due to World War I as well as poor patronage.[9]

References

1. karthik. "Teni Railway Station Map/Atlas SR/Southern Zone – Railway Enquiry". India Rail Info. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
2. Correspondent, A. (2016-02-27). "A new dawn for Sabari railway project". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
3. "New lines and extensions, budget wish list of rail users". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
4. "மதுரை -போடி ரயில் போக்குவரத்து இன்றுடன் நிறுத்தம் – Dinamalar Tamil News". Dinamalar. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
5. "Metre gauge to become history". The Hindu. 2008-03-14. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
6. "மதுரை – உசிலம்பட்டி ரயில் சேவை தொடங்குவது எப்போது?: சு.வெங்கடேசன் எம்.பி கேள்விக்கு கோட்ட மேலாளர் பதில்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Retrieved 2020-12-28.
7. "CRS holds speed trial on Usilampatti-Andipatti line". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
8. "Mysteries of a Defunct Ropeway". IRFCA. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
9. "Railway map of 1909 Imperial gazzete of india".