Transport in Thiruvananthapuram
Encyclopedia
The India
n city of Thiruvananthapuram
has a well-developed transport infrastructure. The city and its suburbs may be traversed using its road and rail networks. Within the city, city buses, taxis and auto rickshaw
s provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favoured means of personal transportation.
to Salem, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Kollam
, Kochi
, Thrissur
, Palakkad
, Coimbatore
and Salem in the north and Nagercoil
and Kanyakumari
in the south.
The city is also connected with several state highways like SH 1
, SH 2
, SH 45
etc. The Main Central Road
(MC Road) which is the arterial State Highway in Kerala starts from National Highway NH 47 at Kesavadasapuram
in the city. It connects Angamaly
through Kottayam
with the capital city.
The Mahatma Gandhi road
is a multi lane road in the City. It is the main arterial road in the city. The main wholesale business district of the city, Chalai Bazaar is situated here. Kerala Government Secretariat, Kerala University
etc. is also situated near the road. Another important road is the Kowdiar road which is also known as the royal road, as it leads to the Kowdiar Palace
.
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed including the construction of flyover
s and under passes. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.
. There are also private bus services. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada
, Pappanamcode
, Kaniyapuram
and Vellanad
. These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms.
KSRTC
also operates JnNURM
transport services and the Ananthapuri City Fast services for the city.
The central city bus terminal is located at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta)
, near the Padmanabha Swamy temple. The Central and Inter State bus station is located 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) away at Thampanoor
, opposite Trivandrum Central Railway Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states.
There are six railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station and three stations serves the metropolitan area. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah
, Kochuveli railway station
, Veli
and Kazhakoottam railway stations are located towards north direction and Nemom railway station
is located south direction from the central station. The Central railway station
is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, 8 km from the airport. Kaniyapuram
, Balaramapuram
and Neyyattinkara
railway stations serves the surrounding metropolitan area.
The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi
, Mumbai
, Kolkata
, Chennai
, Bangalore
etc. Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Thiruvananthapuram is the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in the India, Kanyakumari to Jammu
.
, Singapore
, Maldives
and Sri Lanka
is one of the gateways to the tourism-rich state of Kerala
.
One of the major advantage of the airport is the flights can be operated on all weather conditions. The airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west from the city center
. Apart from regular scheduled flights, many chartered flights from Europe like First Choice Airways
from London Gatwick and Monarch
, land here during the peak tourist season (around December) with Kerala fast becoming a prime tourist destination in India. Thiruvananthapuram airport's importance is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest to neighboring countries like Sri Lanka
and Maldives
.
A new terminal, T3 is inaugurated on 12 February for the operation of international services. It offer three jetways and parking space for 8 aircraft.
. The natural depth of the sea here facilitates the maintenance of deep draft with limited dredging, making it one of the deepest ports in the country. The close proximity to the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East increases the potential of the port as a container transshipment terminal.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n city of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
has a well-developed transport infrastructure. The city and its suburbs may be traversed using its road and rail networks. Within the city, city buses, taxis and auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
s provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favoured means of personal transportation.
Road
The NH-47, which runs from KanyakumariKanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
to Salem, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
, Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
, Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
, Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and Salem in the north and Nagercoil
Nagercoil
Nagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
and Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
in the south.
The city is also connected with several state highways like SH 1
Main Central Road
The Main Central Road is the arterial State Highway in the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is designated as SH 1 by the Kerala Public Works Department.The highway was built by Raja Kesavadas, Dewan of Travancore...
, SH 2
State Highway 2 (Kerala)
State Highway 2 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Thiruvanathapuram and ends by joining with Kollam Thirumangalam National Highway...
, SH 45
State Highway 45 (Kerala)
State Highway 45 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Thiruvananthapuram and ends in Ponmudi. The highway is 61.0 km long.- The Route Map :...
etc. The Main Central Road
Main Central Road
The Main Central Road is the arterial State Highway in the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is designated as SH 1 by the Kerala Public Works Department.The highway was built by Raja Kesavadas, Dewan of Travancore...
(MC Road) which is the arterial State Highway in Kerala starts from National Highway NH 47 at Kesavadasapuram
Kesavadasapuram
Kesavadasapuram is a suburb in the Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. Kesavadasapuram junction is a meeting point of NH 47 and MC Road...
in the city. It connects Angamaly
Angamaly
Angamaly is a satellite town of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is one of the entry points or gateways to Ernakulam district from northern Kerala...
through Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
with the capital city.
The Mahatma Gandhi road
MG Road, Thiruvananthapuram
Mahatma Gandhi Road is an important north-south road in Trivandrum City.- Alignment :Its southern beginning point is at Overbridge Junction near Central Railway Station and ends at LMS Junction, near Palayam in the north. It is one of the main business streets in the city and always carries heavy...
is a multi lane road in the City. It is the main arterial road in the city. The main wholesale business district of the city, Chalai Bazaar is situated here. Kerala Government Secretariat, Kerala University
Kerala University
The University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is an affiliating university located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It was established in 1937, long before the birth of the state of Kerala in India...
etc. is also situated near the road. Another important road is the Kowdiar road which is also known as the royal road, as it leads to the Kowdiar Palace
Kowdiar Palace
Kowdiar Palace in Trivandrum, Kerala, India was built in 1915 by Sree Moolam Thirunal and was gifted to Sethu Parvati Bayi.It is the official residence of the Travancore Royal Family....
.
The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed including the construction of flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
s and under passes. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.
Public transport
The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation)Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
. There are also private bus services. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada
Peroorkada
Peroorkada is a residential locality in the Municipal Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India ,It is located 7 km, north east, from Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station and on the way to Nedumangad and Ponmudi...
, Pappanamcode
Pappanamcode
Pappanamcode is a town bordering Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India.-Geography:Located enroute to Nagecoil from Trivandrum, it is approximately 5 km from Thampanoor Railway station or Bus station. There is a KSRTC bus depot as well as the KSRTC Mechanical Engineers Central Work...
, Kaniyapuram
Kaniyapuram
Kaniyapuram is a small town in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city around from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The main centre of Kaniyapuram area is located in NH-47 in between Kazhakkoottam and Pallippuram CRPF Base...
and Vellanad
Vellanad
Vellanad is a village in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Vellanad had a population of 26760 with 13066 males and 13694 females.Vellanad is situated around 23 km from Trivandrum city....
. These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms.
KSRTC
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
also operates JnNURM
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India under Ministry of Urban Development. It envisages a total investment of over...
transport services and the Ananthapuri City Fast services for the city.
The central city bus terminal is located at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta)
East fort
The East Fort is located at the heart of the CBD of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital city of Kerala- a South Indian state.-History:East Fort got its name from the eastern entrance to the fort built by the Kings of Travancore. The old city was all inside the fort on four sides with the Sri...
, near the Padmanabha Swamy temple. The Central and Inter State bus station is located 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) away at Thampanoor
Thampanoor
Thampanoor is a major commercial area of the Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala state, South India. The major railway station of the state, Trivandrum Central, Railway Mail Service , Central Bus Station, the head office of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and many movie theatres and...
, opposite Trivandrum Central Railway Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states.
Railway
Thiruvananthapuram Pettah
Thiruvananthapuram Pettah Malayalam: തിരുവനന്തപുരം പേട്ട is a railway station for inter-city trains, located at Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala. The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The station is only 2.5 km from the Thiruvananthapuram...
, Kochuveli railway station
Kochuveli Railway Station
Kochuveli Railway Station Malayalam:കൊച്ചുവേളി is one of the main stations of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is being developed to ease congestion on Thiruvananthapuram central station....
, Veli
Veli
Veli is a Turkish and Finnish male given name, meaning guardian and brother in each language respectively.-Given name:* Veli Acar, Turkish footballer* Veli Kavlak, Austrian footballer* Veli Kızılkaya, Turkish footballer...
and Kazhakoottam railway stations are located towards north direction and Nemom railway station
Nemom Railway Station
Nemom Railway Station is a railway station in Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India.Nemom is in the Thiruvananthapuram Railway division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways...
is located south direction from the central station. The Central railway station
Trivandrum Central
Trivandrum Central is the main railway station in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the largest and busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of passenger movement and the second most important rail hub in South India. It is also the most profitable station...
is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, 8 km from the airport. Kaniyapuram
Kaniyapuram
Kaniyapuram is a small town in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city around from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The main centre of Kaniyapuram area is located in NH-47 in between Kazhakkoottam and Pallippuram CRPF Base...
, Balaramapuram
Balaramapuram
Balaramapuram is a village in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It is considered as the second market hub of Thiruvananthapuram, the first being Chalai market in Thiruvananthapuram city....
and Neyyattinkara
Neyyattinkara
Neyyattinkara is municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. The name Neyyattinkara in Malayalam literally means the shore of Neyyar River. Neyyar River flows from Agasthyarkoodam , the highest peak in southern end of the Western Ghats. The taluk has a total...
railway stations serves the surrounding metropolitan area.
The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
etc. Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Thiruvananthapuram is the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in the India, Kanyakumari to Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
.
Airways
Thiruvananthapuram's International Airport, with direct flights from the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
is one of the gateways to the tourism-rich state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
One of the major advantage of the airport is the flights can be operated on all weather conditions. The airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west from the city center
Thampanoor
Thampanoor is a major commercial area of the Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala state, South India. The major railway station of the state, Trivandrum Central, Railway Mail Service , Central Bus Station, the head office of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and many movie theatres and...
. Apart from regular scheduled flights, many chartered flights from Europe like First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways was a British charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel PLC, based in Crawley, England. It flew to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services were operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer...
from London Gatwick and Monarch
Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines, often shortened to and trading as Monarch, is a British charter and scheduled airline based at London Luton Airport in Luton. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest charter airlines, operating to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, India and Africa, serving mainly leisure...
, land here during the peak tourist season (around December) with Kerala fast becoming a prime tourist destination in India. Thiruvananthapuram airport's importance is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest to neighboring countries like Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
.
A new terminal, T3 is inaugurated on 12 February for the operation of international services. It offer three jetways and parking space for 8 aircraft.
Port
A Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port is under implementation at VizhinjamVizhinjam
Vizhinjam is a locality of Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. Kovalam beach is just 3 km from Vizhinjam. The areas in and around Vizhinjam are known for its Ayurvedic treatment centers and internationally acclaimed beach resorts. As of 2001, the population was 18,566...
. The natural depth of the sea here facilitates the maintenance of deep draft with limited dredging, making it one of the deepest ports in the country. The close proximity to the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East increases the potential of the port as a container transshipment terminal.