The Madras Central station was built in 1873 and became the terminus of theMadras Railway in the city. The building was designed by architect George Harding and was further modified as per the design ofRobert Chisholm in 1900. Designed in a mixedGothic Revival andRomanesque architecture, it is one of theprominent landmarks in Chennai. The station had undergone a series of renovations since then. It became part of theMadras and Southern Mahratta Railway in 1908, and later as a part of the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways in 1951. The station underwent modifications and expansions in 1959.
The railway lines at the station waselectrified in 1979. The Moore Market Complex, adjacent to the main terminal, was opened in 1986 to accommodate suburban services, and ticket offices. The station underwent further expansion in 1998, with the addition of a new building to the west. It was renamed to Chennai Central in 1998 to reflect thename change of the city from Madras to Chennai in 1996. It was rechristened in honour of former chief ministerM. G. Ramachandran on 5 April 2019. After the renaming, it became the second-longest name of a railway station after the station atLlanfair inWales.[6]
As of 2024[update], it is the third highest revenue earning station of the Indian Railways.[4] As per a 2007 report published by the Indian Railways, the station was rated as one of the cleanest in South India.[7]
In 1873, Madras Central was established as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram station, which was later used forport movements. The station with four platforms, was built at Park Town around the slopes of Periamet. It came up on an open area, which was once owned by Joao Pereira, a Portuguese merchant, who settled in Madras in the 17th century CE, and later fell into disuse.[12][13] The station underwent further modifications, which were completed in 1900.[13]
In 1907, the Madras Central station became the main terminus of the Madras Railway,[15] after the line frombeach was extended further south, and trains were then terminated at the station rather than Royapuram. TheMadras and Southern Mahratta Railway was formed in 1908 and took over the administration of the station from the Madras Railway.[13][16] The headquarters of the railway company was built adjacent to the station in 1922.[17] With the opening of theChennai Egmore railway station in 1908, plans were made to link Madras Central and Egmore.[15] In 1931,electric traction was introduced on thesuburban route Madras beach andTambaram.[18][19]
The suburban terminal atMoore Market Complex (left), added in 1986, with platforms of the main terminal (right)
In 1951, the station became part of theSouthern Railway zone of theIndian Railways. In 1959, the station was expanded and additional changes were made to the layout.[13] Theelectrifiction of the main lines at the station began in 1979, with the tracks along the seven platforms electrified on 29 December 1979.[20] In the 1980s, the Southern Railway started looking for land for the expansion of the station. When the adjacentMoore Market building was destroyed in a fire in 1985, thestate government transferred the land to the Railways. The 13-storiedMoore Market Complex opened in 1986 and houses the suburban terminus, railway reservation counters, and other offices.[21] Following the renaming of the city of Madras in 1996, the station became to be known as Chennai Central.[13]
Side view of the west extension building added in 1998
To cater to increasing passenger movement, the main building was extended in 1998 with the addition of a new building on the western side with a similar architecture to the original, and the number of platforms increased to 12.[13] In the late 1990s,IRCTC installed modular stalls and food plazas along the platforms.[22] In 2005, the buildings were re-painted in light brown, and were quickly repainted in the original brick-red colour after a public campaign.[23]
In the 2000s, there were multiple plans for further expansion and development of the station, including plans for a second terminal near the Moore Market Complex,[24] and multi-level platforms to accommodate intercity and suburban services at various levels.[25][26][27] However, the projects did not materialise.[28] In 2013,ballast-less tracks were expanded to all.[29] In the mid 2010s, the Indian Railways announced plans for redevelopment of the station with private partnership.[30] In 2017, theCentral Square was developed in the area around the station.[31][32][33] In February 2019, a 100 ft (30 m) flag mast was installed at the front of the main building of the station at a cost of₹1.5 million (US$18,000).[34] On 6 March 2019, theprime ministerNarendra Modi announced that the station will be renamed afterM. G. Ramachandran, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu.[35][36] On 5 April 2019, the station was officially renamed as "Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station".[37]
Chennai Central lies on the intersection ofPoonamallee High road, Pallavan Salai, andWall Tax Road in the Park Town area in Central Chennai. The main entrance is located on the Poonamallee High road, with the eastern side opening on to the Wall Tax road, and the western entrance leading to the suburban terminal.[38] TheBuckingham Canal runs beneath the main and suburban terminals. As the portion of canal running near the terminus is covered for about 250 m (820 ft), it often leads to garbage accumulation and necessitates regular desilting.[39]
The main terminal of the station is spread over an area of 51,182 km2 (19,761 sq mi) with a built up area of 14,062 m2 (151,360 sq ft).[40] The building was originally designed by George Harding and built in theGothic Revival andRomanesque Revival architecture in 1873.[13][41][42] The station was modified further by the design ofRobert Fellowes Chisholm, with the addition of the central clock tower, caps on the main towers, and other changes, and the redesign was eventually completed in 1900.[13][43] It has been declared as aheritage building.[44] The clock tower, the tallest of the towers of the main building, has four faces and reaches a height of 136 ft (41 m)[45] The clock is set to chime every quarter of an hour and every hour.[13][22] The station building has been painted in maroon colour since its inception in 1873.[46]
The station has 17bay platforms including five at the suburban terminal. The platforms one to eleven, averaging about 600 m (2,000 ft) in length, can accommodate trains with up to 24 coaches. A shorter platform designated as 2A, can accommodate trains with 18 coaches.[47][48] There are various waiting areas with the main waiting hall capable of accomodating up to 1,000 people.[49] However, the main concourses are often crowded.[50] The station has threesplit-flap timing boards,[51] and electronic display boards, that mention train timings and platform number.[52][53] There are seven passenger operated enquiry terminals,[54] a passenger information center, and information kiosks.[55] However, most platforms are not equipped with individual coach position display boards.[56] On 26 September 2014, Chennai Central became the first in the country to get free Wi-Fi connectivity. The facility is being provided by RailTel, a public sector telecom infrastructure provider.[57]
There are various commercial establishments such as bookshops, restaurants, and eateries inside the station.Drinking water is supplied by taps located along the platforms.[58] In September 2018, a 5,000-litrereverse osmosis plant was commissioned in the station, with the water distributed through kiosks located across the platforms.[59] The station has about ten toilets.[60] Licensed railway porters provide baggage services to the passengers.[61] Four-seater battery operated vehicles are available for ferrying passengers.[62] Following aMadras High Court order in 2012,[63][64] a medical care centre was opened on 15 April 2013.[65] The centre has three beds, and is staffed with three doctors, four nurses, and a paramedic team. It is equipped with oxygen cylinders, anelectrocardiogram, adefibrillator, resuscitation equipment, and an ambulance.[66]
The station has parking facilities for about 1,000 two-wheelers, and four-wheelers each.[67][68] A premium car park, with a capacity to accommodate 80 cars, is located between the main building and suburban terminal.[69][70] The station is divided into two zones for cleaning and maintenance, staffed by about 70 personnel.[71] Trains arriving at the station undergo primary maintenance, which involves exterior and interior cleaning, filling water, cleaning of toilets, and required mechanical and electrical overhaul. About 405 maintenance employees are employed by the Indian Railways.[72][73][74]
TheRailway Protection Force is responsible for the security of the station. A government railway police station is located on the first floor,[75] and is headed by adeputy superintendent.[76] The police operate a helpline known asKaakum karangal ('Protecting hands'). The station is divided into six sectors and is staffed by 24 police personnel.[77] In May 2022, abomb squad started functioning at the station.[78] In 2009, a security boundary wall was erected along the western side, and surveillance cameras were installed at the platforms in the suburban terminal. Two security booths were established, one each at the main and the suburban terminii.[79] In 2009, 39CCTV cameras were installed in the main terminal and a central control room was established.[80] In 2012, about 120 cameras were added in the station.[81] On 15 November 2012, an integrated security system was launched at the station, which included installation of 54 IP-based cameras, under-vehicle scanning system at entries and exits, and personal and X-ray baggage screening systems. In addition, explosive detection and disposal squads were deployed. Existing cameras were also integrated to the news system.[82][83]
Chennai Central serves as one of the terminii of the various trunk routes of the Indian Railways viz.Chennai–Bengaluru,Chennai–Howrah,Chennai–Mumbai, andChennai–New Delhi.[84] The terminus is connected to the nearby Egmore station, by a circuitous 11.2 km (7.0 mi) route via Chennai Beach. While there were proposals to connect the two termini by means of an elevated track,[85][86] the plan was late dropped.[87][88] It is aterminal station, and the lines branch out from the nearbyBasin Bridge Junction, which results in congestion and traffic challenges due to the non-availability of platforms at Chennai Central.[24] A bridge across the Buckingham Canal connects the terminus with the railway yards and stations to the north. The 33.02 m (108.3 ft)-long bridge, carries six tracks, and was completed in March 2011.[89]
Chennai Central is one of the busiest railway stations inSouth India and a major rail hub in the country.[4] As of 2023[update], it handles about 200Mail/Express trains, and the suburban terminus handles about 1000 Suburban/Multiple Unit services daily. It handles about 730,000 passengers per day.[3] The station is also a major transit point forfreight trains. It handles sea food and other cargo from the port.[90] It also serves as a main transit station forIndia Post.[91] In 2024, the station generated a revenue of₹12.993 billion (US$150 million), and was the third highest revenue earning station of the Indian Railways.[4]
A coach maintenance depot is located at the northern side of the terminus, where trains are checked, cleaned and readied for the next trips. It is the largest train care centre under the Southern Railway, and is equipped with 14 pit lines including two lines to accommodate 24-coach trains, and the rest designed to park 18-coach trains.[92][93] The Water used for washing are out into the Buckingham Canal by means of drainage channels. However, as the yard is located in a basin area, water does not drain quickly enough,[94] and leads to pest infestation and other hygiene issues.[95][96]
The station forms an important junction for various lines of the suburban network. Moore Market complex, serves as the hub for suburban trains on theNorth,West,West North, andWest South lines.[100][101] TheChennai Park suburban station, that forms part of theSouth, andSouth West lines, is situated across the Central station. ThePark Town station, which is part of theChennai MRTS network, is located adjacent to the Park station.[100][101] TheCentral metro station, serves as the intersection of theBlue andGreen Lines of the Chennai metro. A series of subways and passageways in the Central Square connect the station to the other side of the road, and the nearby suburban and metro stations.[102][103] However, jaywalking prevails as a substantial number of commuters prefer crossing the road, at times resulting in accidents.[104][105]
Chennai Central is serviced by buses operated by theMetropolitan Transport Corporation, accessible from the bus lanes in front of the main entrance.[106] There are prepaid auto and taxi stands at the station premises.[107][108]
On 14 August 2006, a fire broke out at the station, which destroyed a book store.[109]
On 29 April 2009, four passengers were killed and 11 were injured, when a suburban train was hijacked by an unidentified man, who later rammed it into a stationarygoods train at theVyasarpadi Jeeva railway station, 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Chennai Central.[110] The train, which was scheduled to depart at 5:15 am, was hijacked at 4:50 am, with 35 passengers onboard, and accelerated to 92 km/h (57 mph) before collision.[111][112]
On 6 August 2012, a man climbed atop the clock tower of the station's main building, and had to be brought back by the police and railway officials.[45]
Chennai Central has featured in various media and other pop culture in the region. Many films and television programs have been filmed at the station and the surroundings.[117][118]
^"Station Code Index"(PDF). Centre For Railway Information Systems. 2023–24. p. 5. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 16 February 2024. Retrieved23 March 2024.
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