Thiruvananthapuram: Ninety-five years ago, trains rolled into Thampanoor, transforming what were once paddy fields into the city’s busiest rail gateway. The Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, built after the line was extended from Chakkai — the city’s original station — marked the milestone with a Station Mahotsav, celebrating nearly a century of journeys, arrivals and departures. The first railway station in the city was built at Chakkai in 1918, between the present-day Thiruvananthapuram South railway station and the airport. During the reign of Her Highness Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai, plans were drawn up for a new station in the heart of the city. Construction began in 1928, with the paddy fields of Thampanoor chosen as the site. The Maharani inaugurated Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station on Nov 4, 1931. The station began operations with one platform and two tracks. Two more platforms were added in 1976 during the gauge conversion of the Ernakulam–Thiruvananthapuram section. Platforms 4 and 5 were added in 1990, a railway official said. The station building remains distinctive for its architectural features — embossed facades, high roofs, tall doors and windows, wide verandas and elegant stairways. Built using rock-stone masonry, the structure is notable for having been constructed without the use of a single brick. A second entrance was constructed on the western side of the station on Power House Road in 2000. Railways were still in their nascent stage in erstwhile Travancore when Thiruvananthapuram Central was inaugurated. Shengottai to Thiruvananthapuram (Chakkai) via Kollam was the only major line that was in operation at that time, allowing passengers and traders to access markets for the agricultural produce from the northern parts of the princely state. Travancore Administration Report for 1931-32 says that the railway line was extended from Chakkai to Thampanoor at an expenditure of Rs 26,64,700 against the estimate of Rs 27,47,870. The line, built by Travancore govt, was handed over to South Indian Railway Company on July 1, 1932. The report states that estimates and plans were being prepared for the Mavelikara–Kochi, Kollam–Ernakulam and Neriyamangalam–Tripunithura lines. The estimate and plan for the Nagercoil–Thiruvananthapuram line had been received by govt. The Sengottai–Kollam line was opened for goods services in 1902, while the Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram extension up to Chakkai was opened in 1918. The route suffered a loss of Rs 73,877 in the year ending March 1932, against a profit of Rs 26,498, the report said. The 95th anniversary celebrations of the station, held on Nov 12, were inaugurated by divisional railway manager Divyakant Chandrakar. Chandrakar said it had grown from a terminal with a single platform and two train departures a day into one of Keralam’s key railway hubs. He said the ongoing redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram Central aims to provide modern infrastructure, improved accessibility and enhanced passenger amenities. An exhibition tracing the station’s history and evolution, including a display of railway heritage artefacts, was organised. Commemorative Station Mahotsav cards were distributed.
About The Author
