Thiruvananthapuram Central today
Thiruvananthapuram railway station, officially Thiruvananthapuram Central (station code TVC) and known locally as Thampanoor station after its neighbourhood, is the main railway station of Kerala's capital and the busiest station in Kerala. In 2017–19 it handled about 40,908 passengers a day and more than 14 million a year, ranking first in the state for both traffic and earnings. It is administered by the Southern Railway zone, is the headquarters station of the Thiruvananthapuram division, and is graded NSG-2.
Thiruvananthapuram Central through the years
Trivandrum's railway story began on 4 January 1918, when the line from Quilon (Kollam) reached a terminus at Chackai, on the edge of the city. The present station at Thampanoor, first called Travancore Central, opened on 4 November 1931 during the reign of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore.
The building is unusual: no bricks were used in its construction; it was built entirely of rock masonry. When it opened, it had one platform and was planned for two departures a day, a measure of how much the station has grown.
- 1955: the station is rebuilt.
- 2004: a south terminal opens.
- December 2005: electrification.
- 2007: a west terminal opens.
TVC was also the first station in Kerala to install video surveillance, now a networked system run by the Railway Protection Force.
Tracks and platforms at Thiruvananthapuram Central
There are 5 platforms on 16 tracks, at a height of roughly 7 metres. With traffic still growing, a satellite terminal at Nemom has been proposed to take some trains.
Lines
- Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram trunk line, northwards through Kerala
- Thiruvananthapuram–Nagercoil–Kanyakumari line, south to the tip of India
Trains at Thiruvananthapuram Central
Major services include the Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express to Hazrat Nizamuddin, the Kerala Express to New Delhi, Vande Bharat Express services within Kerala, and long-distance trains such as the Vivek Express and Himsagar Express, which pass through on their way to and from Kanyakumari. Rajdhani, Kerala Express and Vande Bharat timings from TVC are in our timetable search.
Reaching Thiruvananthapuram Central
- Bus: the KSRTC Central bus station is directly opposite the main entrance, so rail–bus transfers are very easy.
- Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is a short drive away.
- Road: a taxi stand and prepaid autorickshaw service.
Thampanoor pointers
- Thiruvananthapuram also has Kochuveli (now Thiruvananthapuram North) and Thiruvananthapuram Pettah stations; some long-distance trains start at Kochuveli, so check your ticket.
- Kovalam beach and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple are both easy to reach from Thampanoor.