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SIR Railway Network

See separate pages for further information

Railways amalgamated to form SIR

First Amalgamation 1872

• Great Southern of India Railway(GSIR), broad gauge(BG), opened 1861. Merged with Carnatic Railway Company to form SIR, 1872; and subsequently converted to metre gauge(MG) as part of the SIR 'Madras-Tuticorin Mainline' MG Network.
• Carnatic Railway. Took over Indian Tramway Co., 1870; merged with the Great Southern of India Railway to form SIR, 1872.
  • Indian Tramway Co., opened 1865. Formerly Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway which failed in 1870 and taken over by Carnatic Railway.

Second Amalgamation 1908'

• Madras Railway(MR) was a broad gauge(BG) network that was constructed, owned and worked by MR up to 31 Dec 1907. On 1 Jan 1908 the 'Southern Section' was transferred to SIR. This Section from Jalarpet had opened 1860-61; extended to Calicut, 1888 and finally to Mangalore, 1907. Line length 417 miles(671km). Upon amalgamation this became the SIR 'Jalarpet-Mangalore Mainline'.
  • Mettupalaiyam Branch Line. Constructed, owned and worked by MR up to 31 Dec 1907, then transferred to SIR. Podanor Junction to Coimbatore and Mettupalaiyam. Opened 1873, 26 miles(41km) )
  • Palghat Branch Line. Palakkad Junction(Olavakode) to Palghat. Constructed, owned and worked by MR up to 31 Dec 1907, then transferred to SIR. Opened 1888, 2.5 miles(4km)

At this time the metre gauge(MG) lines north of Katpadi were relinquished and became part of the newly formed 'Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway'. SIR only retained the Villupuram-Katpadi Extension Railway

Following these amagamations the SIR network was broken into two Divisions:-

Metre Gauge Division

Madras-Tuticorin Mainline, the metre gauge MG) Mainline and Branches, developed from the ex-GISR lines which were converted to MG and continued to be expanded over the years by SIR

From Madras the MG Mainline ran southwards with the its branches:-

• ‘Madras-Chingleput Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Arkonam Branch Line’ from Chingleput to Arkonam
• 'Chingleput-Villupuram Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Villupuram-Katpadi Extension Railway’ from Villupuram to Katpadi
  • ‘Pondicherry Branch Line’ from Villupuram to Pondicherry
• ‘Villupuram-Cuddalore Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Cuddalore Wharf Branch Line’ from Cuddalore
  • ‘Capper Quarry Branch Line’ from Cuddalore
• ‘Cuddalore-Mayavaram Section’ - Mainline
• ‘Mayavaram-Tanjore Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Pulliarpati Quarry Branch Line’ from Tanjore
  • ‘Nagore Branch Line’ from Tanjore to Negapatam and Nagore
• ‘Tanjore-Trichinopoly Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Erode Branch Line’ from Trichinopoly to Erode
• ‘Trichinopoly-Madura Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Madura-Pamban Railway’ from Madura to Mandapam and Rameswaram
  • ‘Tuticorin Branch Line’ from Madura to Tuticorin
  • ‘Livingopuram Salt Branch Line’ from Tuticorin
• ‘Madura-Maniyachi Section’ - Mainline
  • ‘Tinnevelly Branch Line’ from Maniyachi to Tinnevelly
  • ‘Tinnevelly-Quilon Railway’ from Tinnevelly to Quilon
  • ‘Quilon-Trivandrum Extension Railway’ from Quilon to Trivandrum

Broad Gauge Division

• Jalarpet-Mangalore Mainline, the broad gauge(BG) Mainline and branches; from the Madras Railway - Northern Section (referred to above, see also separate page)
  • Mettupalaiyam Branch Line
  • Palghat Branch Line
• Suramangalam-Salem Railway. BG, District Board owned, opened 1917-18, worked by SIR (not included in 'District Board Lines' below)

District Board Lines worked by SIR

The following metre gauge MG) lines were worked by SIR under arrangements with District Boards

• ‘Tanjore District Board Railway'. The first District Board line, formed 1900 by raising funds to construct feeder line; worked by SIR.
• ‘Podanur-Pollachi Railway', opened 1905. District Board owned; worked by SIR as part of Metre gauge section network.
• ‘Tinnevelly-Tiruchendur Railway'. Constructed by District Board after 1908 and worked by SIR
• ‘Mayavaram--Tranquebar Railway'. District Board owned, under construction 1926, worked by SIR

Lines worked by SIR at some time

• ‘Karaikkal-Peralam Railway', opened 1898. Financed by French Govt, constructed by Great Southern of India Railway; SIR branchline which connected the French enclave of Karaikkal with the rest of British India at Peralam, absorbed into SIR.
• ‘Pondicherry Railway', opened 1879. French enclave; railway worked by SIR
• ‘Cuddapah-Nellore Railway', opened before 1887. Worked by SIR linking Vijayawada and Chennai, extended 1890
• ‘Mayavaram Mutupet Railway', opened 1890. Worked by SIR , 1897
• ‘Nilgiri Mountain Railway', opened 1899. Worked by Madras Railway Co to 1907; then worked by SIR ; line extended, 1908
• ‘Shoranur-Cochin Railway'. Privately funded, opened in 1902. Worked by SIR , 1908
• ‘Tinnevelly-Quilon Railway'.'British Section' opened 1902, worked by SIR, 50 miles from Tinnevelly to frontier of Travancore State. 'Indian State Section' opened 1903, worked by SIR, 58 miles from frontier through Travancore State to Quillon
• ‘Tirupattur-Krishnagiri Railway' opened 1905 as a famine protection line; worked by Madras Railway(MR) until 31 December 1907; then working passed to SIR
• ‘Shoranur-Nalambur Railway', opened 1927. Worked by SIR , 1933
• ‘Salem-Metur-Dam Railway'. Link railway to SIR main line at Salem from Metur Dam; worked by SIR, 1933
• ‘Cochin Harbour Extension Railway', opened 1938. Part of Shoranur-Cochin Railway; worked by SIR
• ‘Vriddhachalam-Cuddalore Railway', opened c.1880. Worked by SIR , 1933