Chainage in the Indian Subcontinent

On this page

• Introduction
• Notes & Trivia
• Chainage Table Index
• Table Legend
• Acknowledgments & Sources

Introduction

Chainage is the system of distance markings along all of IR's (and other subcontinental railways) routes. Typically, these markings are found on catenary poles (where lines are electrified) or on headstones next to the tracks. Chainage markings are often complex, and originated with various independent railway companies that existed in India pre-Independence. This collection of tables and notes with exhaustive topographical and geographical details aims to demystify these markings and make them accessible to railfans and researchers.

This comprehensive list of tables has been primarily put togther by S. Aravind with inputs from IRFCA members and various IR and subcontinental railway websites. The data is as of October 2021. (Sources and acknowledgments)

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Notes & Trivia

Zero Points

Chains usually have zero markers at their natural start-point i.e. Headquarters or at major interchange points with other lines. The following compilation of stations pertains to major chains along with their corresponding branches.

Madras Beach Jn

• Rameswaram at 669 via the Main line (with Virudunagar at 622 via Manamadurai)
• Tuticorin at 654 via Chord line (with Quilon at 762 via Virudunagar)
• St. Thomas Mount at 24 via the MRTS
• Interestingly, Virudunagar Jn. gets two chains – one via Main at 622 and one via Chord at 538, similar to Tiruchirappalli Jn at 405 and at 340.

Madras Central and Royapuram

The historical 0 point was Royapuram. The chains sfrom RPM were:

• Bangalore City at 356
• Mangalore Central at 885 (via Irugur-Palghat bypass)
• Wadi Jn at 671
• Vishakapatnam at 779

However, post construction of a new terminus at Madras Central (MAS), a slight change was required so as to not disturb the continuity of the chainage. Distance from MAS to Veysarpadi (VPY) was incidentally the same as the distance from RPM to VPY and hence there was no problem in continuing the chainage. But there was a ~1 km increase between the distance to Korukkupet (KOK) from RPM and MAS. With an intent not to disturb the entire chain to Vishakapatnam (VSKP, the extra km between Basin Bridge Jn. and KOK was numbered as Km 2A. Hence the chain that we see from KOK till VSKP is ex-RPM.

Bangalore City Jn

• Mysore Jn at 138
• Guntakal Jn at 281 (in the MG days). However, the current BG chain starts at Baiyyappanahalli (BYPL)
• Miraj Jn at 748

Bori Bunder Victoria Terminus (Currently CSMT)

• Roha at 144
• Wadi at 605 (Manmad at 504 via Daund, Miraj at 565 and Latur Road at 562 via Kurduwadi)
• Nagpur at 837 via Akola (Ballarshah Outer at 893 via Wardha, Pimpalkuti at 922 via Majri)
• Delhi at 1541 (Purna Jn at 950 via Khandwa, Naini at 1350 via Itarsi, Nagpur at 1042 via Itarsi, Chhindwara at 990 via AMLA, Mahadiya at 1336 via Bina, Maksi at 1308 via Bina, Gwalior at 1321 via Guna, Manikpur at 1419 via Jhansi, Kanpur Central at 1349 via Jhansi, Bhind at 1307 via Gwalior, Alwar Jn 1520 via Mathura Jn, Agra Fort 1347 via Agra Cantt, Jamuna Bridge at 1351 via Agra Cantt.). This could easily win the award for the chain with most branches, hands-down!

Bombay - Churchgate

• Mathura Jn at 1245
• Okha at 994 (Porbandar at 959 via Kanalus, Gandhidham Jn at 796 via Viramgam)

Howrah

• Vishakapatnam at 879 (Puri at 499 via Khurda Road, Gomoh 356 via Kharagpur)
• Nagpur at 1130, 1131, 1244 and 1407 (Ballarshah at 1252 via Gondia, Jabalpur at 1229 via Gondia, Mandla Fort 1162 via Gondia, Titlagarh 744 via Jharsuguda, Katni Jn 1039 via Bilaspur)
• Ghaziabad Jn 1432 via the Grand Chord (Farrukhabad at 1318 via Shikohabad Jn.)
• Saharanpur Jn at 1591 via Main Line (Lucknow at 1055 via Sultanpur and 1095 via Ayodhya Cantt. (Faizabad), Tupkadih at 412 via Asansol, Sini Jn at 407 via ASN and Bondamunda Jn 585 via Muri)

Trivia

• The chains from Gudur Jn (93) and Katpadi Jn (104) end at Tirupati as it was the BG/MG interchange point for some time
• The MG chain from Dindigul Jn went to Coimbatore Jn (167). This is why why CBE is still named as a Junction (BG/MG interchange facility)
• The southern most station of India, Kanniyakumari at 16 is not in a big chain, but in a relatively insignificant branch chain from Nagercoil Jn. Similarly, the eastern most station of India, Lekhapani 55, is in a chain from Makum Jn
• The chain from Shoranur Jn running South goes all the way to Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) at 115 and does not end at Ernakulam (ERS) at 107
• The line from Wadi Jn to Kazipet Jn goes from Begumpet 179 ‘into’ Hyderabad Deccan at 185 and 'comes out' to Secunderabad Jn at 194. Thus there are 3 stations that have two markings technically. Necklace Road 181/189, Khairatabad 183/187 and Lakdikapul 183/186
• There are two lines that run parallel between Duvvada Jn and Vishakapatnam. Thus these stations have two markings, one from Madras (RPM) and another from Howrah: Duvvada (actually an extension from Simhachalam station) 761/883, Gopalpatnam 772/872 and Marripalem 776/874
• The line from Wardha 758 to Vijayawada starts with a continuation of the chain from CSMT(BBVT), goes all the way to Ballarshah (BPQ) outer (Madras end) at 893 where it jumps to 135 when SCR takes it over. This number is a chain from Wardha Jn. and it ends at Kazipet (KZJ) 367 and at Vijayawada (BZA) 585
• Chains meet mid-way at Adilabad (ADB) 243 ex-Mudkhed, and Pimpalkutti 922 ex-CSMT
• Four chains reach Nagpur from Howrah:
  • 1130 via Kanhan Jn and Kalumna (drops at the outer)
  • 1131 via Kanhan Jn, Kalmuna and Itwari Jn (ITR) (goes all the way to the station)
  • 1244 via Gondia Jn, Nagbhir Jn and Itwari (drops at ITR)
  • 1407 via Gondia Jn, Nainpur Jn and Itwari (drops at ITR)

Inflated Distances

Certain sections can have inflated distances for ticketing (commercial) purposes, whereas the actual distance on ground might be different.

• Hassan Jn - Mangalore Central for the Shiradi Ghat section
• Londa Jn - Vasco da Gama for the Braganza Ghat section
• Bombay VT - Roha at the Roha end of the chain
• Konkan Railways (KRCL): 40% increase on actual km throughout
• Ambala Cantt - Kalka for the ghat section
• New Bongaigaon Jn - Kamakhya for the bridge at Goalpara
• Chennai Central - Bangalore City Jn as the Down line takes a longer route through the Javadi Hills
• CSMT - Itarsi at Harsud for the longer line constructed to accommodate the back waters of the Narmada dam, retaining the old chain unaffected
• Mudkhed - Pimpalkutti section for the ghat section
• Aryankavu Ghat section (extra 10 km in the MG days)

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Chainage Tables

For ease of discovery, these tables have been grouped into regions where major chains terminate (and start). Each region has links to the detailed tables, tap (or click) each region to expand.

These tables have also been compiled as a PDF file that can be viewed here.

Table Legend

Key	Description
Mudagere	Old Name of Station
Saifpur	Abandoned Station
H	Halt/Flag Station
Lucknow Jn	Headquarters
SR/MAS to SWR/SBC	Zonal/Divisional Hand/Take Over
WB to OD	Change of State/Union Territory
Bankers (Freight)	Item of Railfan Interest
Chambal	River or Waterway Bridge
Tunnel 27 (Mid)	Tunnel
	Ghat Section/Mountainous Terrain
	Was MG (1m), Now BG or MG
	Was NG (610mm/762mm), Now BG or NG
	Was NG then MG/Was NG+MG Gauntleted, Now BG or MG
	Was Unique Gauge
	Converted from BG to MG, Now BG
No colour strip	Always BG (1.676mm)

Acknowledgments & Sources

At this juncture, I would like to thank V Srinivasa Prasad (VSP) for creating the interest in me to study chains. It was on one fine evening Railfanning session at Hussain Sagar Jn drooling at a headlamps-on WAP-4 #22606 with Godavari Exp and the second oldest WDM-2 loco of India, 18041 led Haripriya/ Rayalaseema Exp combo that he shared the interesting km markings of Hyderabad station. This kindled the interest in me to look out for actual km markings, dawning on my mind that believed (illogically though!) that km markings follow the ones given in Timetables and did not get any chance to think about the logical flaw in it. The end point is the Chainage file and this commentary should ideally wrap it up. I think I have done justice to the thought process that started there!

Due credits to Nishanth (Sivaramakrishnan) and Bose, who supported me extensively with data during initial stages, introducing the FOIS (then RBS) website and the system maps.

Thanks to Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA) members, especially Ganesh Iyer, Ajai Banerji, Sampath, Rahul Moghe, Samar and DSP Anirudh, who supported with extensive historical information and inputs. Thanks to Sridhar Joshi and Krishnan for their continuous motivation and their kind consent to share a few words about this file. Thanks to Aswin, Adithya, Aswath, Ramkrishnan and Hari for proof reading.

Heartfelt thanks to the following zones/ divisions of IR, who supported with data as replies for my RTI queries: RTM, IZN, SDAH, ASN, MLDT, PGT, TVC, BSL, NGP, ADI, BVC, LJN, SUR, DHN NFR, SER, SWR, WCR, ECoR, SECR

Extensive and heart-felt thanks/credits to Fergusson's station lists, which helped me validate the list of abandoned stations and get more information on station names that have got changed over years.

No words can express the joy that I feel as a creator, seeing how Bharath Moro has transformed what it was appearing like a monotonous timetable book into interactive web page form. His dedication, interest (and meticulous follow-up too!) to have this uploaded into the IRFCA server deserves an applause. Sincere gratitude and thanks to the IRFCA webmasters to have spared server space to host these files.

MSL data is approximate and may not represent what is available in the station nameboards. Remember, this file is not an exhaustive one. I will attempt to make it so in the upcoming versions. You can contribute data to expand this file. Comments, feedback and edits are most welcome!

S. Aravind ('Ara'), Chennai (saravin2 AT gmail.com)