Union Minister of State for Railways on 27 September 2008, inaugurated the 62 km broad gauge line between Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

The inaugural train departed from the Tiruchendur railway station at 12.50 pm and reached Tirunelveli at 2.50 pm. The metre gauge line between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur was laid in 1923 but owing to gauge conversion work, the line was closed on 31 December 2006. The train service was further delayed in June 2007 due to operational difficulties.

The new broad gauge line has 187 small and medium bridges and the entire project has been completed on an outlay of Rs.118 crore. After the Railway Safety Commissioner, K J S Naidu, conducted a speed trial on the newly converted BG track on 19 August 2008, the Railway Ministry cleared the proposal of resuming service on this section.