Ernakulam Junction

Ernakulam South
Indian Railways station
Main entrance of Ernakulam Junction before the reconstruction in 2022
General information
LocationKochi, Kerala, India
Coordinates9°58′08″N 76°17′30″E / 9.96885°N 76.29160°E / 9.96885; 76.29160
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated bySouthern Railway zone
Line(s)Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line,
Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section
Ernakulam–Alappuzha–Kayamkulam
Ernakulam Junction–Cochin Harbour Terminus
Platforms6
Tracks10
ConnectionsErnakulam South metro, Ernakulam KSRTC Bus Stand
Construction
ParkingAvailable
Bicycle facilitiesavailable
AccessibleDisabled access
Other information
StatusActive
Station codeERS
Fare zoneSouthern Railway zone
ClassificationA1 Class
History
Opened1932 (1932)
Rebuilt1946 (1946) (first)
August 2025 (August 2025) (second)
Electrified2000 (2000)
Passengers
2018–1953,698 per day [1]
Annual passengers – 1,96,00,000 (2021–22)
Rank3 (in Kerala)
2 (in Trivandrum division)
Location
Interactive map

Ernakulam Junction railway station (also known as Ernakulam South, code: ERS) is the main railway terminus in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. Controlling 376 train routes at a time, it is one of the busiest railway station in South India and an important railway hub.[2] At ₹158 crore (equivalent to ₹196 crore or US$25 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.[3] Ernakulam Junction is an A1 classified station operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. It is also the first fully disabled-friendly railway station in India.[4]

History

Ernakulam 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.[5]

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.[6] Until 1979 when the Kottayam line was converted into broad gauge, Ernakulam junction had both broad and metre-gauge tracks.[7] 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

On 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.[8] 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.[9]

Layout

Ernakulam Junction has four lines branching off from it to four different directions:

The station has six platforms to handle long-distance trains and local trains and two entrances (the Main entry and the Eastern entry). Its A1 classification is the highest a station can achieve on Indian Railways. It does have all amenities expected out of a major junction including a paid air-conditioned lounge with free WiFi, 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.[10] Currently all its platforms are served by escalators.

Important trains originating from Ernakulam Junction

The following trains starting from Ernakulam Junction station:

Train name
Ernakulam–H.Nizamuddin Duronto Express
Mangala Lakshadweep Express
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Ernakulam Duronto Express
Ernakulam–Bilaspur Express
Ernakulam–Okha Express
Ernakulam–Banaswadi Superfast Express
Ernakulam-Karaikal Tea Garden Express
Bangalore City–Ernakulam Intercity Express
Ernakulam–Patna Express (via Tirupati)
Ernakulam–Patna Express (via Chennai)
Dharti Aaba AC Superfast Express
Howrah–Ernakulam Antyodaya Express
Ernakulam–Tatanagar Express
Ernakulam–Trivandrum Vanchinad(via Kottayam)
Ernakulam–Nizamudeen Millennium Express (via Konkan)
Marusagar Express
Ernakulam-Barauni Raptisagar Express
Ernakulam–Kannur Intercity Express
Pune–Ernakulam Express
Poorna Express

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Annual originating passengers and earnings for the year 2018–19 - Thiruvananthapuram Division" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  2. ↑ "Ernakulam Junction: Restrictions on train traffic from Jan 30". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "Ernakulam Is India's 1st Disabled-Friendly Railway Station, Thanks To This Resilient Woman". India Times. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "The history of Ernakulam Junction". The Hindu. 8 July 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  6. ↑ PRADEEP, K. "Before and after the Jayanti Janata". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Ernakulam Jn in 1976". IRFCA.
  8. ↑ "On the right track: 'World-class makeover' for Ernakulam Junction and Town railway stations". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "300-crore renovation work of Ernakulam south railway station progressing fast". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "'Willingdon island to be developed as grain storage hub'". The New Indian Express. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.

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