The station is served by several long-distance trains connecting most major cities in the country on a daily basis like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Bhopal, Pune and Mangalore.

Trains connecting extreme ends of india also passes through the station like Jammu tawi, Dibrugarh etc.

It is one of the busiest station in Thiruvananthapuram central - Ernakulam route due to ease in accessibility of Sabarimala temple.

By completing double line from Chingavanam to Ettumanoor, southern railway has achieved its complete stretch of double rail line from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangalore 1898 – Palakkad 1902 – Kochi 1902 – Thrissur 1904 – Kollam 1907 – Kannur 1907 – Kasargod 1918 – Thiruvananthapuram 1956 – Kottayam The works for the metre-gauge project between Ernakulam and Kollam commenced on 24 December 1952.

The metre-gauge railway line from Ernakulam to Kottayam was completed in 1956 and was formally inaugurated in October 1956.