An Overview of the Southern Indian Railway System
Indian Railways is a central government-owned railway system. It is overseen by the Government of India and Ministry of Railways. It is the fourth largest railway network in the world. Indian Railways comprises of zones, which are further subdivided into divisions. There are a total of 17 zones and 67 divisions.
Southern Railway – Overview
The Southern Railway Zone is the first of 17 Indian Railways zones formed in India after independence. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging Madras State Railways, Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway and the Mysore State Railway.
Southern Railway has its main office in the city of Chennai and has six divisions, namely: Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Salem, Palakkad, and Thiruvananthapuram. The Southern Railways region spreads over the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and small portions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This network carries more than 500 million passengers every year. The difference in this zone of Indian Railways and other zones is that most of its revenue is passenger oriented and not cargo oriented.
Though accidents involving derailment and collision are less common in recent times, it is common knowledge that eliminating accidents altogether cannot be completely achieved, given the size of the railways. Deaths at unmanned level crossings are also an issue, which is being dealt with by installing automated signaling system to avoid accidents.
Unique Experiences
The experience of traveling on trains in this region is enthralling with beautiful views through the windows of the train. One such perfect example which captures the traveler’s attention is Ooty’s toy train which runs from Ooty to Coonoor. This is the only heritage train and is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. It moves across the beautiful hills and plains making the journey a captivating one. Another interesting train track is the Pamban Bridge that connects the Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. It is 2.3 km long. The railroad bridge is a double leaf bascule bridge that can be raised to let ships pass under the bridge.
Most of the South Indian cities and towns are connected by train. If you are planning to take a train for one of your trips then checking for train availability and reservations is recommended. You can carry out a railway reservation sitting in the comfort of your home on the internet. Plan ahead and have a wonderful journey.
For more information about Railway Reservation Online Booking Services, Please visit our website for booking Hotels in Train Availability at http://www.mustseeindia.com
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