Great South Indian Railway Company (GSIR) had its headquarters at Nagapattinam between 1861 and 1875. A broad gauge railway line was operated between Nagapattinam and via , between 1861 and 1875. During 1875 it was converted into a meter gauge (MG) line. The GSIR headquarters was shifted to Tiruchirapalli during 1875. The railway workshop was at Negapatnam till 1929 and contributed to the growth of the town. It was also moved to Golden rock [Ponmalai during 1929. connects in the west, in the north and in the south. There are passenger trains to , , , , and . There is a daily express train to via and via (Tea Garden Express). There are two triweekly trains from to (Pamani Express) and to (Goa) (Vasco Velankanni Express) that pass via .