Ernakulam Junction railway station (also known as Ernakulam South, station code: ERS[2]) is an NSG–2 category Indian railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone.[3] It is the main railway terminus in the city of Kochi, Kerala. Controlling 376 train routes at a time, it is one of busiest railway stations in South India and an important railway hub.[4] At ₹158 crore (equivalent to ₹196 crore or US$24 million in 2023) in financial year 2018–19, it is the second largest in terms of passenger revenues in Kerala and the fifth largest in Southern Railway.[5] Ernakulam Junction is an NSG-2 classified station operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division.[6] It is also the first fully disabled-friendly railway station in India.[7]
Ernakulam Junction Ernakulam South | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indian Railways station | |||||||
 Main entrance of Ernakulam Junction before the reconstruction in 2022 | |||||||
| General information | |||||||
| Location | Kochi, Kerala | ||||||
| Coordinates | 9°58′08″N 76°17′30″E / 9.96885°N 76.29160°E | ||||||
| Owned by | Indian Railways | ||||||
| Operated by | Southern Railway zone | ||||||
| Line(s) | Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line, Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section Ernakulam–Alappuzha–Kayamkulam Ernakulam Junction–Cochin Harbour Terminus | ||||||
| Platforms | 6 | ||||||
| Tracks | 10 | ||||||
| Construction | |||||||
| Parking | Available | ||||||
| Bicycle facilities | available | ||||||
| Accessible |  | ||||||
| Other information | |||||||
| Status | Active | ||||||
| Station code | ERS | ||||||
| Fare zone | Southern Railway zone | ||||||
| Classification | NSG-2 | ||||||
| History | |||||||
| Opened | 1932 | ||||||
| Rebuilt | 1946 (first) August 2025 (second) | ||||||
| Electrified | 2000 | ||||||
| Passengers | |||||||
| 2018–19 | 53,698 per day [1] Annual passengers – 1,96,00,000 (2021–22) | ||||||
| Rank | 3 (in Kerala) 2 (in Trivandrum division) | ||||||
| |||||||
History
editErnakulam Junction was first opened as Ernakulam South in 1932 when the metre-gauge line then terminating at Ernakulam Terminus railway station (ERG) was extended from Pachalam to the Cochin Harbour Terminus on the Willingdon Island for proximity to the Kochi Port. Ernakulam North, Perumanur (later closed), Mattanchery Halt and CHTS were the newly opened stations on the route. In 1946 the station was converted into broad gauge as part of the Shoranur–CHTS line, linking it directly to the rest of India via the Mangalore–Jolarpet mainline at Shoranur Jn. In 1956 the Ernakulam–Kottayam metre-gauge line was opened and further extended to Kollam in 1958, joining to the Kollam–Trivandrum line, connecting Ernakulam with Trivandrum for the first time. This was what made Ernakulam Junction rise to prominence, which was until then just a small wayside station en route to the much busier Cochin Harbour Terminus station.[8]
Since the opening of the Kottayam line made the station a junction, it was renamed Ernakulam Junction, and the Ernakulam North station was renamed to Ernakulam Town.[9] Until 1979 when the Kottayam line was converted into broad gauge, Ernakulam junction had both broad and metre-gauge tracks.[10] As the coastal line to Alappuzha was opened in 1989, Ernakulam Junction rose to the status of the most premier railway station in central Kerala.
Renovation
editOn 13 July 2022, a ₹299.9 crore budget was approved for the station's renovation. The renovation entails the erection of multi-story structures spanning a total built-up area of roughly 62,000 square metres on the station's eastern and western faces. On the eastern side, a different, three-story structure is being constructed. It will feature administrative offices, a hospital, and a passenger booking facility. A projected four-story structure is located on the western side. It will have waiting areas, ticketing areas and a commercial area with lifts and escalators connecting it to all stations.[11] Kerala's traditional architecture will be reflected in the station building's façade design. A ticketing area, waiting lounges, and commercial space will all be housed in the renovated West Terminal structure. Most notably, a skywalk will connect the complex to the Ernakulam South Metro Station. In total, 22 lifts and 14 escalators will be added to the current fleet. There will be set up multi-level parking (MLCP) with space for 108 automobiles and 90 two-wheelers in addition to EV charging stations.[12]
On 29 September 2024, The railways announced plans to expand platform number 2 at the station to accommodate 24 coach trains. Future extensions of other platforms are being considered as well.[13]
Layout
editErnakulam Junction has four lines branching off from it to four different directions:
- North towards Chennai/Bangalore/Hyderabad (via Palakkad) and Mumbai/Ahmedabad (via Kozhikode and Konkan Railway)
- South towards Thiruvananthapuram via Alappuzha–Kollam
- South-west towards Willingdon Island and Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS)
- East towards Thiruvananthapuram via Kottayam–Kollam
The station has six platforms to handle long-distance trains and local trains and two entrances (the Main entry and the Eastern entry). It does have all amenities expected out of a major junction including a paid air-conditioned lounge with free Wi-Fi, a library, rest room, children's play areas etc. However, the station lacks the spread-out roominess and large built-up area of similarly large stations. Ernakulam Junction was the first railway station in Kerala to have an escalator. It was installed on 9 September 2013.[14] Currently all its platforms are served by escalators.
Important trains originating from Ernakulam Junction
editThe following trains starting from Ernakulam Junction station:
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Annual originating passengers and earnings for the year 2018–19 - Thiruvananthapuram Division" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- ^ "Station Code Index" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. Centre For Railway Information Systems. 2023–24. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "SOUTHERN RAILWAY LIST OF STATIONS AS ON 01.04.2023 (CATEGORY- WISE)" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. Centre For Railway Information Systems. 1 April 2023. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Ernakulam Junction: Restrictions on train traffic from Jan 30". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Kerala railway stations ahead in passenger fare income". Malayala Manorama. Thrissur. 1 January 2016. Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Annual Originating Passengers & Earnings for the year 2022-23" (PDF). Indian Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Ernakulam Is India's 1st Disabled-Friendly Railway Station, Thanks To This Resilient Woman". India Times. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "The history of Ernakulam Junction". The Hindu. 8 July 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ PRADEEP, K. "Before and after the Jayanti Janata". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ "Ernakulam Jn in 1976". IRFCA.
- ^ "On the right track: 'World-class makeover' for Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "300-crore renovation work of Ernakulam south railway station progressing fast". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Bureau, The Hindu (27 September 2024). "Platform-2 at Ernakulam Junction to be extended to host 24-coach trains". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "'Willingdon island to be developed as grain storage hub'". The New Indian Express. 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
External links
editwww.irctc.com
- Southern Railway zone
- Ernakulam Junction railway station at the India Rail Info