Mumbai–Chennai line
Mumbai CSMT (top) and Chennai Central, the termini of the Mumbai–Chennai line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Termini	Mumbai CSMT Mumbai LTT MGR Chennai Central
Service
Operator(s)	Central Railway, South Central Railway, Southern Railway
History
Opened	1871
Technical
Line length	1,281 km (796 mi)
Number of tracks	2/1
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead lines
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)
Highest elevation	Lonavala 622 metres (2,041 ft)
Route map Mumbai–Chennai route map km 0 Mumbai CSMT Central line 9 Dadar 34 Thane 53 Kalyan Junction to Howrah–Nagpur– Mumbai line to Howrah–Allahabad– Mumbai line 100 Karjat Mumbai Dadar– Solapur section 129 Lonavala 186 Khadki 192 Pune Junction to Pune–Miraj– Londa line to Manmad–Daund branch line 259 Daund Junction to Lonand 268 Bhigwan 296 Jeur 358 Kem to Miraj 376 Kurduvadi Junction to Latur 392 Madha 422 Mohol 455 Solapur Solapur–Guntakal section 470 Hotgi to Gadag 490 Akalkot Road 518 Dudhani Maharashtra Karnataka border 541 Ganagapur Road 567 Kalaburagi Junction 594 Shahabad 604 Wadi to Secunderabad 618 Nalwar 643 Yadgir 666 Saidapur Karnataka Telangana border 687 Krishna Telangana Karnataka border 712 Raichur 729 Matmari Karnataka Andhra Pradesh border 740 Mantralayam Road 754 Kosigi 767 Kupgal 782 Adoni 791 Nagarur to Hubballi 833 Guntakal Junction to Vijayawada to Bengaluru Guntakal–Renigunta section to Pendekullam 862 Gooty to Dharmavaram 886 Royala Cheruvu 892 Vemalapadu 904 Komali 910 Tadipatri 938 Kondapuram 962 Maddanuru 978 Yerragunta 994 Kamalapuram to Kadapa–Bangalore section 1,017 Kadapa 1,028 Kanamalopalle 1,033 Bhakarapet 1,039 Ontimitta 1,050 Mantapanpalle 1,058 Nadalur 1,068 Razampeta 1,101 Koduru to Gudur-Renigunta branch line 1,141 Renigunta to Renigunta-Katpadi branch line 1,166 Puttur Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu border 1,199 Tiruttani to Chennai Central– Bangalore City line 1,213 Arakkonam Junction to Arakkonam–Chengalpattu branch line 1,240 Tiruvallur 1,276 Perambur 1,281 Chennai Central km Source: Google maps 11027 Mumbai CSMT– Chennai Central Mail

The Mumbai–Chennai line, earlier known as Bombay–Madras line, is a railway line connecting Chennai and Mumbai cutting across southern part of the Deccan Plateau. It covers a distance of 1,281 kilometres (796 mi) across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Mumbai–Chennai line is a part of Diamond Quadrilateral.

Sections

The 1,281 km (796 mi)-long trunk line, amongst the long and busy trunk lines connecting the metros, has been treated in more detail in smaller sections:

1. Central line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)
2. Mumbai Dadar–Solapur section
3. Solapur–Guntakal section
4. Guntakal–Renigunta section
5. Renigunta–Chennai section

History

The first passenger train in India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai to Thane ran on 16 April 1853 on the track laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. The GIPR line was extended to Kalyan in 1854 and then on the south-east side to Khopoli via Palasdari railway station at the foot of the Western Ghats in 1856. While construction work was in progress across the Bhor Ghat, GIPR opened to public the Khandala–Pune track in 1858.

The Bhor Ghat incline connecting Palasdari to Khandala was completed in 1862, thereby connecting Mumbai and Pune.^[1] The Western Ghats presented a big obstacle to the railway engineers in the 1860s. The summit of the Bhor Ghat (earlier spelt as Bhore Ghat) incline being 2,027 feet. The maximum gradient was: 1 in 37 with extreme curvature. "The works on the Bhore ghat comprised 25 tunnels of a total length of nearly 4,000 yards, two of the longest being 435 yards and 341 yards respectively. The Bhore ghat have eight lofty viaducts having a total length of 2,961 feet. Two of the largest are more than 500 feet long with a maximum height of 1160 and 163 feet. There are 22 bridges of spans from 7 to 30 feet and 81 culverts of various sizes."^[2] The construction of the Bhor Ghat incline came at a high price: an estimated 24,000 builders died during the eight years of construction.^[3][4]

The Pune–Raichur sector of the Mumbai–Chennai line was opened in stages: the portion from Pune to Barshi Road was opened in 1859, from Barshi Road to Mohol in 1860 and from Mohol to Solapur also in 1860. Work on the line from Solapur southwards was begun in 1865 and the line was extended to Raichur in 1871. Thus the line met the line of Madras Railway thereby establishing direct Mumbai–Chennai link.^[5]

The first passenger train in southern India and the third in India was operated by Madras Railway from Royapuram to Wallajah Road (Arcot) in 1856. MR extended its trunk route to Beypur / Kadalundi (near Calicut) and initiated work on a north-western branch out of Arakkonam in 1861. The branch line reached Renigunta in 1862,^[1] and to Raichur in 1871, where it connected to the Great Indian Peninsula Railway line from Mumbai.^[5]

Electrification

Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway's (GIPR) on 3 February 1925, on 1.5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930.^[6]

The previously used 1.5 kV DC was converted to 25 kV AC on 5 May 2013 from Kalyan to Khopoli and Kalyan to Kasara.^[7] Conversion from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Thane-Kalyan section was completed on 12 January 2014.^[8] The CSMT to LTT section was converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on 8 June 2015.^[9][10] The Kasara-Pune section was also converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC.

The Pune–Daund section as well as Daund-Bhigwan section was electrified in 2017.^[11] The electrification of the Bhigwan-Kalaburgi section was completed by March 2022.^[12] The Kalaburgi-Wadi section was electrified in 2018.^[12]

The Renigunta–Nandalur sector electrification was completed in 2006.^[13][14] The Nandalur–Guntakal sector was electrified by Dec 2013.^[15] The electrification of the Guntakal-Wadi section was completed in 2015.^[12]

The Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station–Tiruvallur sector, as well as the Basin Bridge–Chennai Beach sector were electrified in 1979–80. The Tiruvallu–Arakkonam sector was electrified in 1982–83, Arakkonam–Tiruttani sector in 1983–84 and the Tiruttani–Renigunta sector in 1984–85.^[16]

Hence, the entire Mumbai-Chennai route is completely electrified.

Speed limit

The stretch between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kalyan is classified as 'Group A' line, where trains can take speed up to 160 km/h. The Kalyan–Pune–Daund–Wadi line and the Wadi–Raichur–Adoni–Arrakonam–Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central railway station line are classified as 'Group B' lines and can take speeds up to 130 km/h.^[17]

Passenger movement

Mumbai CSMT, Pune, Solapur and MGR Chennai Central, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[18]

References

External links

• Trains at Mumbai CST
• Trains at Pune
• Trains at Daund
• Trains at Solapur
• Trains at Wadi
• Trains at Raichur
• Trains at Adoni
• Trains at Guntakal
• Trains at Chennai Central