The construction of a branch railway line branching off
from the main Mayiladuthurai-Muthupettai line and connecting Peralam with Karaikal was
authorized by the French government in December, 1895. This railway line owned by the
French government was operated by South Indian Railway in accordance with the terms of
agreement reached in 1902. The company had to remit to the French government the net
profit arrived at after deducting the maintenance cost. Built at a cost of 12 lakhs
francs, the line was opened to traffic on 14.3.1898. It covered a distance of 23.5 Kms
within which about 16 Kms fell within Karaikal. Ambagarathur, Paruthikudi, Thirunallar and
Karaikovilpathu are the stations in this district. After merger, the ownership and
administration of the line came to vest with the Government of India and its operation
controlled by the Southern Railway. The train services in this line always face
cancellation due to shortage of coal for economy reasons, but resume after representations
from the public very frequently. The train services are often utilized for transport of
goods to and from this district, the main outward movement being fish and prawns.
Karaikal Railway Station
Phone Number: 22976 (STD Code: 04368).
Nearest railway stations next to Karaikal are in
Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai (Mayavaram).
Loading and unloading of goods are usually carried on with
the help of boats whenever water level is high in the river. The goods are brought
to the warehouses without difficulty. There are storage facilities in the warehouses
situated not far from Arasalar and Vanjiar. However, in view of existence of a port in Nagapattinam,
this minor port does not have much importance.