Karaikal railway station (station code: KIK) is a railway terminus, situated in the town of Karaikal in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India. The station is east of Tiruchirappalli and from Chennai and connects Karaikal to various parts of the country.
Location and layout
The railway station is located on Railway station road off the East Coast Road (ECR) and the Karaikal Bypass Road. The Karaikal Bus Station is located away. The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport, situated at about away from the station. Karaikal Port is located from Karaikal railway station.
Peralam–Karaikal line
Currently the station is the terminal point on the Tiruchirapalli–Karaikal branch line and has three platforms. Until 1987 there was a 23 km metre-gauge branch line westwards, connecting Karaikal with Peralam, which was later dismantled. Since then there have been persistent demands from various quarters for the revival of this line. In June 2019 tenders were floated for the restoration of this route, expecting to complete the project by March 2024.