Madurai Railway Station Junction needs more infrastructure

Many suggest that the best solution will be to improve the Koodal Nagar station and make use of it like the T Nagar or Tambaram stations in Chennai. Except for the Guruvayur Express, other trains do not halt at this station, though the station has vast potential.

"Koodal Nagar station should be developed next to Madurai because almost half of the population of Madurai lives in this region. It will greatly ease the congestion at Madruai Junction," Jayaprakasam said.

However, Madurai Junction has lot of operational difficulties which has to be addressed immediately, say the employees here.

"Madurai Junction in fact does not have doubling because it ends with the Vaigai river. It means either reception or despatch at a single time," a railway staff explained. Due to this, two trains cannot be operated at a single time though there is doubling from Dindigul. Another challenge is that the station does not have an alternative other than platform number one to receive any goods train with many wagons. Platform one is congested most of the time with more number of trains being operated from there.

"When a goods train enters during peak hour, it becomes a herculean task to handle the other trains. Despatching trains late to other divisions will get us a black mark and railways gives lot of importance to goods traffic as well. It creates huge tension among the staff from various sections at those moments," another railway employee said.

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Escalators in Madurai Railway Station by this year end 2011

Yes, that is the news - By this year end, the Railway officer has informed that by this year end, there would be 6 escalators installed in Madurai Railway Station, similar to Chennai Railway Station.

Let us look forward to it.

Night time visit to Madurai?

Have you ever visited Madurai in Night?

Let me give some tips via Road transport!

If you are coming from North of Madurai, you will reach Mattuthavani Integrated bus stand in Madurai. If so, you won't have buses to Periyar Bus stand (near to Madurai Railway station) directly in the night time before 4:45 AM.

If you want to reach Madurai Railway station (this is in night before 4:45 AM), you take buses to Aarappalayam Bus stand Madurai. Once you reach Aarappalayam, you will have frequent buses to Periyar Bus stand, Thirumangalam, Palanganatham and Thirunagar. You can take these buses and go to southern parts of Madurai and via Madurai Railway station.

Do not take Autos at this time and there will be lot of people keep on offering for Auto rides. I don't really trust these people at this time! It is up to you and your risk. Day time Auto is fine, but not at the night times.

If you want to wait till 5 AM in the morning in Maattuthavani bus stand, then fine - you will have buses to all southern parts of Madurai.

By the way, there is a new bus stop made inside Railway station campus for all the bus riders.

If you are a tourist and you need a friendly question to be answered, please feel free to send us your questions if any. We will be glad to assist you via email as well-wishers of Madurai!

Chennai to Madurai - Railways, Road Transport

Given the situation that more and more people from South are moving to North Tamil Nadu, other states and other countries for work and for personal reasons, there is lesser skilled labours population in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu. That is totally a different problem altogether, in the interests of this article.

If the people travelling from Chennai to Madurai and other southern districts are more, eventually there is a great demand for transport.

Say for example - for a trip to home town in Diwali season or long weekends, it becomes very very tough for all the passengers. We don't even get tickets and it is all Waiting List. Within one day, tickets are sold for Diwali season. Long queues in railway bookings. This is the situation in Railways. Why don't Railways Ministry increase the trains? I know there are special trains, but even special trains queue was booked just within 1 day.

Same situation is with Bus. In Road transport, what happens is people sell tickets for higher rates and really unreasonable rates, since there is lot of demand.

We would request more regulation from Government in all these (agents increasing ticket rates) and also increase the number of transport mechanisms, which will be useful for the general public!!

Basically - Improve Transport in and around Madurai and to/from North, since Madurai is connecting all the places around for southern districts and northern districts.

Madurai Railway Division shows huge earnings and profit for 2008-2009

 The Madurai Railway division recorded a total earning of Rs.412 crore in 2008-09 against last year's earnings of Rs.329 crore, Divisional Railway Manager Anil Singhal said. Isn't it great?