Description
RAMESWARAM (TAMIL NADU) TO THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (KERALA) : FULL TRAIN JOURNEY : 16344 RAMESWARAM - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AMRITHA EXPRESS : TRAIN JOURNEY THROUGH NEW PAMBAN BRIDGE
16344/Amritha Express (PT)
अमृता एक्सप्रेस
RMM/Rameswaram -- TVC/Thiruvananthapuram Central (Trivandrum)
The 16343 / 16344 Amritha Express is an express train operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It run between Thiruvananthapuram Central in Kerala and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
At first, it was extended from Palakkad to Palakkad Town, then later extended upto Pollachi, then Madurai, and fourth time it’s extended to Rameswaram. This train marks as the direct connectivity train to Palani & Rameswaram from Kerala benefiting Malayali pilgrims to Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple and Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple. This train also connects Pollachi, Palani and Dindigul places of Tamil Nadu directly to Rameswaram. Therefore this train will be a greatest benefit for the passengers enroute.
It was introduced in January 2001 by the then Railway Minister O. Rajagopal, from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Palakkad Town. This train is named after Mata Amritanandamayi, a well known spiritual leader of Kerala. At first, the train used to run between Thiruvananthapuram Central to Palakkad, then extended up to Pollachi, then extended to Madurai Junction and finally to Rameswaram. It starts from Thiruvananthapuram Central, runs via Kollam Junction, Kayamkulam Junction, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Changanasseri, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrissur, Ottapalam, Palakkad Junction, Palakkad Town, Kollengode, Pollachi Junction, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Dindigul Junction, Madurai Junction, Manamadurai Junction, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram, then reaches Rameswaram the next day.
It was first introduced as Thiruvananthapuram Central–Palakkad Town Amritha Express, via Shoranur Junction. Later, from November 2015, it had been extended and operated as a special express between Palakkad Town and Pollachi Junction.
Then, from 1 November 2017, Amritha Express was extended to Madurai Junction with new stops at Kollengode, Pollachi, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Oddanchatram and Dindigul Junction by withdrawing stoppage at Shoranur Junction. Starting from 16 November 2011, at Shoranur Junction, eight coaches from Nilambur Road was linked with Amritha Express and ran as Thiruvananthapuram Central–Madurai Junction Amritha Express / Thiruvananthapuram Central–Nilambur Road Rajya Rani Express.
On 5 May 2019, the link express from Nilambur Road was discontinued permanently, and both the trains ran as an independent train. Also Amritha Express was diverted to run via Palakkad Junction–Ottapalam–Thrissur instead of Palakkad Junction–Shoranur Junction–Ottapalam–Thrissur. Therefore, Amritha Express will not touch Shoranur Junction, instead it will bypass Shoranur Junction. The link train Rajya Rani Express has got independent coaches and will run with new terminal from Kochuveli to Nilambur Road.
From October 16, 2025, Amritha Express was further extended to Rameswaram.
The Train shares rake with Boat Mail Express.
Rameswaram railway terminus (station code: RMM) is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It serves the town of Rameswaram, located in Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The station links the pilgrim town as well as the rest of the island to the mainland via the highly acclaimed New Pamban Rail Bridge.
The station is one of the oldest in the country, and accommodate trains such as the Sethu Express and the Boatmail Express, which were two of the most significant and historic trains operated in the region prior to the gauge conversion. Currently, the Rameswaram railway station and the Pamban railway station are the only two functioning train stations in the island excluding the former rail terminus in Dhanushkodi that is no longer in use. The metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was dismantled after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964.
Thiruvananthapuram Central (station code: TVC,) is an NSG–2 category railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a major railway station that serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. It is Kerala's busiest railway station. The station building, a landmark of the city, is located in Thampanoor opposite the central bus stand. Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station is the highest profit earning railway station in Kerala and the most crowded and busiest railway station in Kerala. Most high priority and superfast express trains originate from here like TVC Rajdhani Express.
Thiruvananthapuram is the first tier-2 city in the south along India's longest train routes: the Kanyakumari–Thiruvananthapuram–Dibrugarh Vivek Express route and the Kanyakumari–Thiruvananthapuram–Jammu Tawi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Himsagar Express route.