Title - Rail capital of Kerala

Railways are part and parcel of the life of people in Kerala. The development of tourism, especially, domestic tourism in the state to a great extent depends on railways.

Even though the State has 200 railway stations, Shoranur still holds a distinct position due to diverse reasons.

A Major railway junction

Shoranur junction, represented by the code SRR, comes under Palakkad division of Southern railway and is the biggest junction in the State, situated in Palakkad district. SRR at present has seven platforms and out of them, six are used by trains for boarding commuters and freight.

A junction station is one which has at least three routes diverting from it. As far as Shoranur is concerned, it has four diversions to different directions and the one and only from the State.

The first diversion to the south is to Ernakulam side. The second one is to south east that is Palakkad side. The third one is to North and it is to Mangalore side. The final one to north east is to Nilambur.

What to see in Shoranur

Shoranur’s main attraction is its longest railway platform as it is able to accommodate trains having large number of bogies.

The station is also known for the maximum number of trains passing through the State. Almost all the trains passing through this junction stop here.

Trains commencing from here are mainly passenger trains operating to cities inside and outside the State.

Some passenger trains operating from here include Shoranur– Coimbatore, Shoranur–Kochi, Shoranur–Nilambur Road, Shoranur–Kozhikode, etc.

The one and only express train to commence its return journey from SRR is Venad express which connects Shoranur to Thiruvananthapuram central.

Being a junction station, it has gained a reputation as one among the crowded stations having better amenities for commuters in the state.

Platform number one is exclusively used by passenger trains while others are used by all categories of trains. Platforms three, four and five are the most crowded ones.

Shoranur Station Complex — A Heritage Wonder

The station complex itself is an attraction for the travellers. Built by British and opened on April 14, 1862, it has its own identity.

On the Northwestern side of the station, it has a yard for engine and coach maintenance and repair. Railway hospital is an added amenity provided there.

The writer is a Faculty in Tourism, School of Tourism Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam