Nagapattinam - Transport

Transport

Nagapattinam municipality accommodates 104.539 km (64.958 mi) of roads: 27.328 km (16.981 mi) of cement roads, 72.993 km (45.356 mi) of bituminous roads, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) of WBM roads and 3.018 km (1.875 mi) of earthern roads. Nagapattinam is connected by two national highways, NH 45A to Villupuram and NH 67 to Coimbatore. Nagapattinam is connected with Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Karaikal and other major towns of Tamil Nadu through the state highways SH 22 from Grand Anaicut to Kaveripoompattinam, SH 23 from Mayiladuthurai to Thiruthuraipoondi, SH 64 from Kumbakonam to Sirkazhi, SH 67 from Nagore to Nachiyar Koil, SH 147 from Kumbakonam to Karaikkal, SH 148 from Nagore to Vettar. SH 149 from Sembanarkoil to Nalladai, SH 150 from Vaitheeswarankoil to Lower Anaicut and SH 151 from Kilvelur to Kachanam. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates close to 175 daily services connecting various cities to Nagapattinam. Most of the buses via Nagapattinam operated by the corporation ply between Trichy and Velankanni. The corporation operates a computerised reservation centre in the municipal bus stand of Nagapattinam. It also operates 25 town buses satisfying the local transport needs of Nagapattinam and the neighbouring villages. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long distance buses connecting Nagapattinam to Bangalore, Thiruvanathapuram and Marthandam.

Great South Indian Railway Company (GSIR) had its headquarters at Nagapattinam between 1861 and 1875. Broad gauge railway line was operated between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirapally via Tiruvarur, Thanjavur between 1861 and 1875. During 1875 it was converted as Meter gauge line (MG line). The GSIR headquarters was shifted to Tiruchirapally during 1875 from the town. The Railway workshop was at Negapatnam till 1929 and contributed to the growth of the town. It was also moved to Golden rock during 1929. Nagapattinam railway junction connects Thiruvarur in the west, Nagore in the north, Velankanni in the south and Karaikkal in the east. There are passenger Trains to Trichy, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal, Mannargudi and Thiruthuraipoondi. There is a daily express train to Chennai via Mayiladuthurai and Ernakulam. The are two triweekly trains from Mannargudi to Tirupathi and Velankanni to Goa that passed via Nagapattinam.

The port of Nagapattinam is located in Bay of Bengal in the mouth of river Kuduvayyar. Nagapattinam was the most important port of the Chola empire. All the eastern naval expeditions of Rajendra Chola I (1012-44 CE) were through the port. The port was also widely used by the Dutch, Portuguese and British. Most of the principal exports to Sri Lanka from the port during the British period were rice, piece goods, live stock, cigars, tobacco and skin. The trade of Nagapattinam was mostly with Sri Lanka, Straits Settlements, Burma and to a small extent to the United Kingdom and Spain. The port also served passenger traffic to Singapore, but was susepended due to fire accident of a vessel. The modern day port has a commercial port complex and dockyard that are protected by a river mouth sand bar facing the port. The port handles only limited amount of edible oil imports. The Nagapttinam lighthouse is the first conventional 20 m high lighthouse tower built inside the port premises by the British in 1869. The port and the lighthouse are maintained by the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board under the Government of India.

The nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport, located 145 km (90 mi) away from the town.