The renewed broad gauge line via Theni to Bodinayakanur will now enable easier access for Tourists from Tamil Nadu who would like to visit Kumily / Thekkady, the gateway to God’s own country.
Earlier Metre Gauge Trains Known as “Cardamom Express”, used to run between Madurai and Bodi from 1928 and enabled the growth and development of the Cardamom trade. The trains were suspended nearly thirteen years ago to facilitate the conversion of the tracks to broad gauge.
After the Commissioner of Rail Safety (CRS) gave his approval for the use of the fifteen kilometers long track connecting Theni with Bodinayakanur, the Railway Board has recently approved a proposal for the tri-weekly Madras Central – Madurai air-conditioned express to be extended upto Bodinayakanur from May 2023.
This will result in Tourists being able to reach Kumily from Bodi in less than one and a half hours by road covering a distance of approximately 73 kilometers.
Earlier tourists from Madras had to break Journey at Madurai and travel a distance of 140 kilometers by road for about three and a half hours.
