Teni Junction railway station

This is a junction railway station of Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line. Currently it is under gauge conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge. The metre-gauge tracks have already been removed.

A new line is planned to be constructed from Dindigul Junction to Kumily via Periyakulam, Theni, Cumbum.[2][3]

Teni Junction railway station was inaugurated on 1909 as a light railway line (610mm), later that line was closed due to World War I in 1915. Later Teni railway station was inaugurated together with the Madurai–Bodinayakkanur 90 km branch line on 20 November 1928 as narrow-gauge railway (762mm) by the Madras Provincial revenue member Norman Marjoribanks.[4] Later in 1942, during the Second World War, the line was closed and the tracks were removed. After India's Independence, between 1953 and 1954, the track was restored as a metre-gauge railway.[5]

The Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line was sanctioned for gauge conversion, from metre-gauge (1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in)) to broad gauge (1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)). It was closed on 1 of January 2011, expecting to reopen it by 2012, but due to lack of funds, the project advanced at very slow pace. Finally, on 23 of January 2020, the first stretch between Madurai Junction and Usilampatti (37 km) was inaugurated, after passing the inspection of the Commission of Railway Safety. The remaining 53 km Usilampatti–Bodinayakkanur section is expected to reopen in April 2020.[6] In December 2020 Usilambatti to Andipatti section of the railway line got materialised and was inaugurated, after passing the inspection of the Commission of Railway Safety.[7]

During 1909 a narrow-gauge railway line existed between Kodaikanal Road railway station to Kumily Lower Camp via Nilakottai, Periyakulam, Theni, Cumbum. It had several branch lines in-between Periyakulam to Kodaikanal foothills and theni to Kottagudi. Near Kottagudi, the Kundala Valley Railway line's Topslip railway station is present at a distance of 5 km.[8][9] This railway line had been closed due to World War I as well as due to poor patronage.

The current railway line alignment between theni railway station to Bodinayakkanur railway station follows the same alignment of the old railway line which existed during 1910 between Theni to Kottagudi branch railway line. The new railway line is constructed from Theni to Madurai Junction later in 1928 as Madurai–Bodinayakkanur Branch Line, now this line is exist and is currently under Gauge conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge. The old railway line from Kodaikanal Road to Kumily is dismantled due to World War I as well as poor patronage.[9]