Anchal[1] is an urban town[2] located in the centre of Kollam district in Kerala, India.

One legend is that there used to be an "Anchalappis" at the site of the present range office junction, from which the name "Anchal" originates.

Kollam Junction is the second largest railway station in Kerala by area and is also one of the oldest.

[4] Punalur Railway Station is about 11 km from Anchal and currently connects to Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Nagarcoil, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Madurai.

The new bypass, a long-standing demand of the local people was thrown open for traffic from May 17, 2024.