Timeline and Key Events
1845: Madras Railway Company was launched.
1853: Madras Railway Company, registered in Chennai (Royapuram) began work.
1856: First passenger rail service began in Royapuram - Walaja Road route. Perambur loco workshop set up in Vaughan.
1861: Beypore - Tirur (Kozhikode) route commissioned . Great Southern Railway of India Tiruchirappalli - Nagapattinam (broad gauge) up to 125 km from the gauge set.
1862: Madras Railway Company's Tram way for local transport established in Chennai.
1864: Jolarpettai- Bangalore mail began service.
1868: Service began in Nagapattinam - Tiruchirappalli.
1874: Great Southern Railway of India(SIR) renamed to South Indian Railway
1875: Nagapattinam - Tiruchirappalli conversion to meter gauge.
1879: Meter gauge line between Pondicherry and Villupuram formed according to an agreement between French Government and the British Government.
1891: Nilgiri mountain railway was commissioned.
1898: Mettupalayam(Coimbatore) - Coonoor service of Nilgiri mountain railway began. Olavakkode - Palakkad line constructed.
1898: Meter gauge line between Karaikal and Peralam formed according to an agreement between French Government and the British Government
1899: Chennai-Vijayawada passenger service began. Boat Mail from Chennai to Ceylon, with passenger ship with a connecting service between danushkodi(rameshwaram) and Ceylon started.
1902: Kochi - Shornur path was set up.
1904: Kollam - Thiruvananthapuram line was constructed.
1907: Mangalore - Kozhikode line was constructed.
1908: Chennai Egmore Railway Station was built.
1927: Shornur - Nilambur line constructed.
1929: Chennai suburban railway service began.
1931: Chennai Beach to Tambaram meter gauge electric train service started.
1934: Cochin - Shornur gauge conversion.
1951: Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railwa were united to form a new zone of the Southern Railway.
1965: Chennai - Tambaram - Chengalpattu - Tindivanam - Villupuram route was electrified (25KV AC).
1966: Vijayawada from Southern Railway and Hubli from South Central Railway was divided into separate divisions.
1975: Ernakulam - Kollam meter gauge to broad gauge conversion.
1976: Tamil Nadu Express from New Delhi - Chennai Central started its operation. Ernakulam - Trivandrum line was opened for traffic after gauge conversion.
1977:On August 15, 1977, a train woke up the people of Madurai early in the morning. It was on that day at 6 a.m. sharp that train no.135 down Vaigai Express began its inaugural journey from Madurai to Madras Egmore, with 16 yellow and green livery coaches and a matching YDM4 diesel loco, average Speed Of 70 Kmph was recorded.
1979: Chennai - Thiruvallur route electrified.
1982: Thiruvallur - Arakkonam route electrified.
1984: Vaigai Express was bifurcated into Vaigai and Pallavan Express.
1987: Chennai suburban - Avadi (EMU) service starts.
1989: Alappuzha - Ernakulam route opened for service.
1997: Chennai Beach Railway(MRTS) started its operations.
1998: Tambaram - Tiruchirappalli (chord line) and Tiruchirapalli - Thanjavur opened after gauge conversion.
2002: Southern Railway, Bangalore and Mysore divisions separated to form the South Western Railway. Ernakulam, Thrissur electrified.
2004: Flying train of MRTS started service from Mylapore to Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai .
2005: The Nilgiri Mountain train declared as one of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
2006: Villupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) gauge conversions started.
2007: First movement on Pamban bridge after broad gauge conversion.
Salem Division split from Coimbatore, Pallakad and Tiruchirappali divisions consisting of Coimbatore and Erode. Salem - Virudachalam converted to broad gauge . Mylapore to Velachery, Chennai path of the railway service was opened on November 19.
2010: Villupuram - Mayiladuthurai (main line) services started.
2011: Sengottai - Punalur gauge conversion began.
2011: Madurai - Bodinayakkanur gauge conversion began.
2012: Thiruvarur - Pattukottai gauge conversion began.
Read more about this topic: Southern Railway Zone
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