Coimbatore - Shoranur railway line
| Coimbatore–Shoranur line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Tamil Nadu and Kerala |
| Termini |
Coimbatore Junction (CBE) Shoranur Junction (SRR) |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1861 |
| Owner | Indian Railway |
| Operator(s) | Southern Railway zone |
| Depot(s) | Erode |
| Rolling stock | WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A and WDG-4 diesel locos; and WAG-7 and WAP-4 electric locos. |
| Technical | |
| Track length | Main line: 88 km (55 mi) Coimbatore-Mettupalayam 54 km (34 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Operating speed | 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) |
| Highest elevation |
Coimbatore 411 metres (1,348 ft) Shoranur 26 metres (85 ft) Palakkad 84 metres (276 ft) |
The Coimbatore–Shoranur line connects Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Shoranur in Kerala. There is a branch line Pothanur–Coimbatore–Mettupalayam and Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam via Nilgiri Mountain Railway. This network links the railway network in Kerala to the network in Tamil Nadu via the Palakkad Gap.
The first train service in southern India and the third in India was operated by Madras Railway from Royapuram to Wallajah Road in 1856. Madras Railway extended its trunk route to Kozhikode in 1861. The Podanur–Mettuapalayam line was opened to traffic in 1873. The UNESCO heritage track, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a metre gauge railway was opened in two stages. The Mettupalayam-Coonoor section was opened in 1899 and it was extended up to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in 1908.
Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of 140 metres (460 ft) with a width of 30 kilometres (19 mi) and the line passes through the Palghat gap, which is the only connection across the Western Ghats between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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