Indian Railways
This article is about the organisation. For general information on railways in India, see Rail transport in India.
 |
|
"Lifeline to the Nation"
| |
| Public sector undertaking | |
| Industry | Railways |
| Founded | 16 April 1853 [1] |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
Area served
| India (also limited service toNepal, Bangladesh andPakistan) |
Key people
| |
| Services | Passenger railways Freight services Parcel carrier Catering and Tourism Services Parking lot operations Other related services |
| Revenue |  ₹1634.5 billion(US$24 billion) (2014–15)[2] |
| Profit | ₹157.8 billion(US$2.3 billion) (2013–14)[2] |
| Owner | Government of India (100%) |
Number of employees
| 1.334 million (2014)[3] |
| Parent | Ministry of Railways throughRailway Board (India) |
| Divisions | 16 Railway Zones |
| Website | www |
| Reporting mark | IR |
|---|---|
| Locale | India |
| Dates of operation | 16 April 1853–Present |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) 1,000 mm (3 ft 33⁄8 in) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) 610 mm (2 ft) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Website | www |
Indian Railways (reporting mark IR) is an Indian state-owned enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km (71,000 mi) of track over a route of 65,808 km (40,891 mi) and 7,112 stations.[3] In 2014-15, IR carried 8.397 billion passengers annually or more than 23 million passengers a day (roughly half of whom were suburban passengers) and 1058.81 million tons of freight in the year.[3] In 2014–2015 Indian Railways had revenues of ₹1634.50 billion (US$24 billion) which consists of ₹1069.27 billion (US$16 billion) from freight and ₹402.80 billion(US$5.9 billion) from passengers tickets.[2]
Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 from Mumbai to Thane. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit, the Indian Railways, becoming one of the largest networks in the world. IR operates both long distance and suburban rail systems on a multi-gauge network of broad, metreand narrow gauges. It also owns locomotive and coach production facilities at several places in India and are assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation. Its operations cover twenty nine states and seven union territories and also provides limited international services to Nepal,Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Indian Railways is the world's seventh largest commercial or utility employer, by number of employees, with over 1.376 million employees as of last published figures in 2013 . As for rolling stock, IR holds over 245,267 Freight Wagons, 66,392 Passenger Coaches and 10,499 Locomotives (43 steam, 5,633 diesel and 4,823 electric locomotives).[3] The trains have a 5 digit numbering system and runs 12,617 passenger trains and 7421 freight trains daily.[4] As of 31 March 2013, 21,614 km (13,430 mi) (32.8%) of the total 65,808 km (40,891 mi) route length was electrified.[5] Since 1960, almost all electrified sections on IR use 25,000 Volt AC traction through overhead catenary delivery.
History[edit]
Main article: History of rail transport in India
The history of rail transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. The core of the pressure for building Railways In India came from London. In 1848, there was not a single kilometre of railway line in India. The country's first railway, built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), opened in 1853, between Bombay and Thane.[6] The Great Southern India Railway Co. was founded in Britain in 1853 and registered in 1859. Construction of track in Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80-mile link fromTrichinopoly to Negapatam was opened in 1861. The Carnatic Railway founded in 1864, opened a Madras-Arakkonam-Conjeevaram line in 1865. The Great Southern India Railway Company was subsequently merged with the Carnatic Railway Company in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company.[7][8]
A British engineer, Robert Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards. The Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of the East Indian Railway had been opened in June 1867. Brereton was responsible for linking this with the GIPR, resulting in a combined network of 6,400 km (4,000 mi). Hence it became possible to travel directly from Bombay to Calcutta. This route was officially opened on 7 March 1870 and it was part of the inspiration for French writerJules Verne's book Around the World in Eighty Days. At the opening ceremony, the Viceroy Lord Mayo concluded that "it was thought desirable that, if possible, at the earliest possible moment, the whole country should be covered with a network of lines in a uniform system".[9]
By 1875, about £95 million were invested by British companies in India.[10] By 1880 the network had a route mileage of about 14,500 km (9,000 mi), mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay,Madras and Calcutta. By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896, sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railways.
In 1900, the GIPR became a government owned company. The network spread to the modern day states of Assam, Rajputhana andMadras Presidency and soon various autonomous kingdoms began to have their own rail systems. In 1905, an early Railway Board was constituted, but the powers were formally vested under Lord Curzon.[11] It served under the Department of Commerce and Industry and had a government railway official serving as chairman, and a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways as the other two members. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a profit.
In 1907 almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government. The following year, the first electric locomotive made its appearance. With the arrival of World War I, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India. With the end of the war, the railways were in a state of disrepair and collapse. Large scale corruption by British officials involved in the running of these railways companies was rampant. Profits were never reinvested in the development ofBritish colonial India.[12]
In 1920, with the network having expanded to 61,220 km (38,040 mi),[13] a need for central management was mooted by Sir William Acworth. Based on the East India Railway Committee chaired by Acworth, the government took over the management of the Railways and detached the finances of the Railways from other governmental revenues.
The period between 1920 and 1929, was a period of economic boom; there were 41,000 mi (66,000 km) of railway lines serving the country; the railways represented a capital value of some 687 million sterling; and they carried over 620 million passengers and approximately 90 million tons of goods each year.[14] Following the Great Depression, the railways suffered economically for the next eight years. The Second World War severely crippled the railways. Starting 1939, about 40% of the rolling stock including locomotives and coaches was taken to the Middle East, the railways workshops were converted to ammunitions workshops and many railway tracks were dismantled to help the Allies in the war. By 1946, all rail systems had been taken over by the government.
Organisational structure[edit]
Main article: Indian Railway organisational structure
Railway zones[edit]
Further information: Zones and divisions of Indian Railways
Indian Railways is divided into 16 zones,[15] which are further sub-divided intodivisions. The number of zones in Indian Railways increased from six to eight in 1951, nine in 1966 and sixteen in 2003.[16][17] Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-eight divisions.[18][19]
Each zone is headed by a general manager, who reports directly to the Railway Board. The zones are further divided into divisions, under the control of divisional railway managers (DRM). The divisional officers, of engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal and telecommunication, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial, security and safety branches, report to the respective Divisional Railway Manager and are in charge of operation and maintenance of assets. Further down the hierarchy tree are the station masters, who control individual stations and train movements through the track territory under their stations' administration.
Recruitment and training[edit]
Main article: Centralised Training Institutes of the Indian Railways
Staff are classified into gazetted (Group 'A' and 'B') and non-gazetted (Group 'C' and 'D') employees.[22] The recruitment of Group 'A' gazetted employees is carried out by the Union Public Service Commission through exams conducted by it.[23] The recruitment to Group 'C' and 'D' employees on the Indian Railways is done through 21 Railway Recruitment Boards and Railway Recruitment Cells which are controlled by the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB).[24] The training of all cadres is entrusted and shared between six centralised training institutes.
_(ANVT)_at_Muzaffarpur_Junction_(MFP).jpg)
.
Rolling stock[edit]
Locomotives[edit]
Main article: Locomotives in India
Locomotives in India consist of electric and diesel locomotives. The world's first CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) locomotives are also being used.[25] Steam locomotivesare no longer used, except in heritage trains. In India, locomotives are classified according to their track gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for and their power or model number. The class name includes this information about the locomotive. It comprises 4 or 5 letters. The first letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter denotes their motive power, Diesel or Alternating current (Electric), and the third letter denotes the kind of traffic for which they are suited (goods, passenger, Multi or shunting). The fourth letter used to denote locomotives' chronological model number. However, from 2002 a new classification scheme has been adopted. Under this system, for newer diesel locomotives, the fourth letter will denote their horsepower range. Electric locomotives don't come under this scheme and even all diesel locos are not covered. For them this letter denotes their model number as usual.
A locomotive may sometimes have a fifth letter in its name which generally denotes a technical variant or subclass or subtype. This fifth letter indicates some smaller variation in the basic model or series, perhaps different motors, or a different manufacturer. With the new scheme for classifying diesel locomotives (as mentioned above) the fifth item is a letter that further refines the horsepower indication in 100 hp increments: 'A' for 100 hp, 'B' for 200 hp, 'C' for 300 hp, etc. So in this scheme, a WDM-3A refers to a 3100 hp loco, while a WDM-3D would be a 3400 hp loco and WDM-3F would be 3600 hp loco.
Note: This classification system does not apply to steam locomotives in India as they have become non-functional now. They retained their original class names such as M class or WP class.
Diesel Locomotives are now fitted with Auxiliary Power Units which saves nearly 88% of Fuel during the idle time when train is not running.[26]
Goods wagons[edit]
The number of goods wagons was 205,596 on 31 March 1951 and reached the maximum number 405,183 on 31 March 1980 after which it started declining and was 239,321 on 31 March 2012. The number is far less than the requirement and the Indian Railways keeps losing freight traffic to road. Indian Railways carried 93 million tonnes of goods in 1950–51 and it increased to 1010 million tonnes in 2012–13.[27]
However, its share in goods traffic is much lower than road traffic. In 1951, its share was 65% and the share of road was 35%. Now the shares have been reversed and the share of railways has declined to 30% and the share of road has increased to 70%.
Passenger coaches[edit]
Indian railways has several types of passenger coaches.
The coaches used in Indian Railways are produced at Integral Coach Factory, Rail Coach Factory; including the new LHB coaches.
Passenger coaches numbered 46,722 on 31 March 2012. Other coaches (luggage coach, parcel van, guard's coach, mail coach, etc.) numbered 6,560 on 31 March 2012.
Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) coaches are used for suburban traffic in large cities – mainly Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore. These coaches numbered 7,793 on 31 March 2012. They have second class and first class seating accommodation.
Freight[edit]
Indian Railways earns about 70% of its revenues from freight traffic (₹686.2 billion from freight and ₹304.6 billion from passengers in 2011–12). Most of its profits come from transporting freight, and this makes up for losses on passenger traffic. It deliberately keeps its passenger fares low and cross-subsidises the loss-making passenger traffic with the profit-making freight traffic.
Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has stopped single-wagon consignments and provides only full rake freight trains
Wagon types include:[28]
- BOXNHL
- BOBYN
- BCN
- BCNHL
Technical details[edit]
![[icon]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2016) |
Track and gauge[edit]
Indian railways uses four gauges, the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge which is wider than the 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)standard gauge; the 1,000 mm (3 ft 33⁄8 in) metre gauge; and two narrow gauges, 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) and 610 mm (2 ft). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 75 to 160 km/h (47 to 99 mph).
The total length of track used by Indian Railways is about 115,000 km (71,000 mi) while the total route length of the network is 65,000 km (40,000 mi).[29] About 24,891 km (15,467 mi) or 38% of the route-kilometre was electrified, as of 31 March 2014.[30]
Broad gauge is the predominant gauge used by Indian Railways. Indian broad gauge—1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)—is the most widely used gauge in India with 108,500 km (67,400 mi) of track length (94% of entire track length of all the gauges) and 59,400 km (36,900 mi) of route-kilometre (91% of entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).
In some regions with less traffic, the metre gauge (1,000 mm (3 ft 33⁄8 in)) is common, although the Unigauge project is in progress to convert all tracks to broad gauge. The metre gauge has about 5,000 km (3,100 mi) of track length (4% of entire track length of all the gauges) and 4,100 km (2,500 mi) of route-kilometre (7% of entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).
The Narrow gauges are present on a few routes, lying in hilly terrains and in some erstwhile private railways (on cost considerations), which are usually difficult to convert to broad gauge. Narrow gauges have 1,500 route-kilometre. The Kalka-Shimla Railway, the Kangra Valley Railway and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railwayare three notable hill lines that use narrow gauge, but the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a metre gauge track.[31] These four rail lines will not be converted under the Unigauge project.
The share of broad gauge in the total route-kilometre has been steadily rising, increasing from 47% (25,258 route-km) in 1951 to 86% in 2012 whereas the share of metre gauge has declined from 45% (24,185 route-km) to 10% in the same period and the share of narrow gauges has decreased from 8% to 3%. About 24,891 route-km of Indian railways is electrified.
Sleepers (ties) are made up of prestressed concrete, or steel or cast iron posts, though teak sleepers are still in use on a few older lines. The prestressed concrete sleeper is in wide use today. Metal sleepers were extensively used before the advent of concrete sleepers. Indian Railways divides the country into four zones on the basis of the range of track temperature. The greatest temperature variations occur in Rajasthan.
Research and development[edit]
Indian Railways has a full-fledged organisation known as Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), located at Lucknow for all research, designs and standardisation tasks.
In August 2013, Indian Railways entered into a partnership with Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) to develop technology to tap solar energy for lighting and air-conditioning in the coaches. This would significantly reduce the fossil fuel dependency for Indian Railways.[32]
Recently it developed and tested the Improved Automated Fire Alarm System in Rajdhani Express Trains. It is intended that the system be applied to AC coaches of all regular trains.[33]
Current and future developments[edit]
Main article: Future of the Indian Railways
In recent years, Indian Railways has undertaken several initiatives to upgrade its ageing infrastructure and enhance its quality of service. The Indian government plans to invest ₹905000 crore (US$133 billion) to upgrade the railways by 2020.[34]Indian Railways is refurbishing 12-15 year old coaches at Carriage Rehabilitation Workshop in Bhopal to enhance passenger amenities and fire safety measures.[35][36]
Toilets on railways[edit]
In 2014, Indian Railways and DRDO developed a bio-toilet to replace direct-discharge toilets, which are currently the primary type of toilet used in railway coaches. The direct discharge of human waste from trains onto the tracks corrodes rails, costing Indian Railways tens of millions of rupees a year in rail-replacement work. Flushing a bio-toilet discharges human waste into an underfloor holding tank where anaerobic bacteria remove harmful pathogens and break the waste down into neutral water and methane. These harmless by-products can then be safely discharged onto the tracks without causing corrosion or foul odours.[37] As part of its "Swachh Rail-Swachh Bharat" ("Clean Rail-Clean India") programme, Indian Railways plans to completely phase out direct-discharge toilets on its lines by 2020-2021. As of March 2015, 17,338 bio-toilets had been installed on newly built coaches, with all new coaches to have bio-toilets from 2016; older rolling stock will be retrofitted.
Locomotive factories[edit]
In 2015, plans were disclosed for building two locomotive factories in the state of Bihar, at Madhepura (diesel locomotives) and at Marhowra (electric locomotives). Both factories involve foreign partnerships. The diesel locomotive works will be jointly operated in a partnership with General Electric, which has invested ₹2052 crore (US$302 million) for its construction, and the electric locomotive works with Alstom, which has invested ₹1293.57 crore (US$190 million). The factories will provide Indian Railways with 800 electric locomotives of 12,000 horse power each, and a mix of 1,000 diesel locomotives of 4,500 and 6,000 horsepower each.[38] In November 2015, further details of the ₹14656 crore (US$2 billion) partnership with GE were announced: Indian Railways and GE would engage in an 11-year joint venture in which GE would hold a majority stake of 74%. Under the terms of the joint venture, Indian Railways would purchase 100 goods locomotives a year for 10 years beginning in 2017; the locomotives would be modified versions of the GE Evolution series.[39] The diesel locomotive works will be built by 2018; GE will import the first 100 locomotives and manufacture the remaining 900 in India from 2019, also assuming responsibility for their maintenance over a 13-year period.[40] In the same month, a ₹20000 crore(US$3 billion) partnership with Alstom to supply 800 electric locomotives from 2018 to 2028 was announced.[34]
Links to adjacent countries[edit]
Existing rail links:
- Nepal – Break-of-gauge – Gauge conversion under uni-gauge project
- Pakistan – same Broad Gauge. Thar Express to Karachi and the more famous Samjhauta Express international train from Lahore, Pakistan to Amritsar (Attari).
- Bangladesh – Same Broad Gauge. The Maitri Express between Dhaka and Kolkata started in April 2008 using the Gede-Darsana route, in addition to a Freight Train service from Singhabad and Petrapole in India to Rohanpur andBenapole in Bangladesh. A second passenger link between Agartala, India and Akhaura Upazila, Bangladesh was approved by the Government of Bangladesh and India in September 2011.[41]
Under construction / Proposed links:
- Bhutan – railways under construction – Same gauge
- Myanmar – Manipur to Myanmar (under construction)
- Vietnam – On 9 April 2010, Former Union Minister of India, Shashi Tharoor announced that the central government is considering a rail link from Manipur to Vietnam via Myanmar.[42]
- Thailand – possible if Burma Railway is rebuilt.[43]
Types of passenger services[edit]
Trains are classified by their average speed.[44] A faster train has fewer stops ("halts") than a slower one and usually caters to long-distance travel.
| Rank | Train | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duronto Express | These are the non-stop (except for technical halts) point to point rail services introduced for the first time in 2009. They connect the metros and major state capitals of India and were introduced to travel as fast or faster than the Rajdhani Express. They provide first AC, two-tier AC and three-tier AC accommodation. Some of them provide non air-conditioned Sleeper Class accommodation. |
| 2 | Rajdhani Express | These are air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. They have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at a maximum speed of around 130–140 km/h (82 mph). They have limited stops. In the Railway budget of 2014, it was proposed that the speed of Rajdhani express, and Shatabdi Expresses would be increased up 180 km/h. |
| 3 | AC Express | These are fully air-conditioned trains linking major cities in the country. They have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 130 km/h (82 mph). They have limited stops. |
| 4 | Shatabdi Express | The Shatabdi trains are air-conditioned, intercity trains for travel during daytime. Unlike the Rajdhani or Duronto Expresses, all Shatabdi expresses, it makes a round trip on same day. The Bhopal Shatabdi Express (Train no: 12001/12002) is the fastest train in India, between New Delhi and Agra cantonment, this train travels at an average speed of 100kmph and touches top speed of 160kmph. They have seats and executive class seats, Some also have 3-tier AC berth. They have limited stops. Indian Railway is planning to introduce Wi-Fi services, New Delhi - Kalka Shatabdi Express being first train for trials.[45] |
| 5 | Double Decker Express | Same as Shatabdi Express, these are fully air-conditioned two floor express trains. They have high priority and are among fast trains in India. They have limited stops. |
| 6 | Jan Shatabdi Express | Jan Shatabdi Express are more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which have both AC and non-AC classes. The maximum speed is 130 km/h. They have fewer stops. |
| 7 | Garib Rath | Air-conditioned no-frills trains with seats and 3-tier Economy AC berths. The maximum speed is 130 km/h. Some of them have AC Chair cars also. |
| 8 | Sampark Kranti Express | These are a series of trains which provide super fast Express-like connectivity to the national capital Delhi. These trains have higher priority than Super Express / Mail. |
| 9 | Yuva Express | These trains were started along with Duronto Express trains to provide air conditioned travel to youth of the country. Sixty percent of the seats of these trains were reserved for passengers between 18 – 45 years of age. These trains did not enjoy much success. Today these trains only operate on the Delhi - Howrah and Delhi - Mumbai routes. |
| 10 | Kavi Guru Express | These trains were introduced in honour of Ravindra Nath Tagore. Currently four pairs of these trains operate on the Indian Railways network. |
| 11 | Vivek Express | These trains were introduced to commemorate the 150th birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekanand in 2013. Currently four pairs of Vivek Express run in the country. |
| 12 | Intercity Superfast Express/Mail | These trains travel at a speed greater than 100–120 km/h (60-75 mph). Tickets for these trains have an additional superfast surcharge. |
| 13 | Rajya Rani Express | These trains were introduced to connect state capitals to important cities in that state. |
| 14 | Express | These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediate stations. |
| 15 | Fast PassengerandPassenger | These are slow trains that stop at most or every station along the route and are the cheapest trains. The trains generally have unreserved seating accommodation but some night trains have sleeper and 3-tier AC compartments. These trains travel at about 40-80 kmph. |
| 16 | Suburban trains | These trains operate in the urban areas of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune and between Kanpur and Lucknow, usually stop at every stations and have unreserved seating accommodation. |
| 17 | Metro | These trains are designed for city transport. Indian Railway constructed Kolkata Metro for the city of Kolkata. |
| 18 | Tourist Trains | Indian Railways also operate luxurious tourist trains like Palace on Wheels, Maharaja Express, The Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels etc. Fairy Queen has also gained tourist attraction because it is the oldest steam engine in operation hauling a luxurious train from Delhi to Alwar. |
Accommodation classes[edit]
Main article: Indian Railways coaching stock
Indian Railways has several classes of travel with or without airconditioning. A train may have just one or many classes of travel. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating class whereas Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi, garib rath and yuva trains have only airconditioned classes. The fares for all classes are different with unreserved seating class being the cheapest. The fare of Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains includes food served in the train but the fare for other trains does not include food that has to be bought separately. In long-distance trains a pantry car is usually included and food is served at the berth or seat itself. Luxury trains such as Palace on Wheels have separate dining cars but these trains cost as much as or more than a five-star hotel room.
A standard passenger rake generally has four unreserved (also called "general") compartments, two at the front and two at the end, of which one may be exclusively for ladies. The exact number of other coaches varies according to the demand and the route. A luggage compartment can also exist at the front or the back. In some mail trains a separate mail coach is attached. Lavatories are communal and feature both the Indian style as well as the Western style.
The following table lists the classes in operation. A train may not have all these classes.
| Class[46] | Description[46][47] |
|---|---|
| 1A | First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are almost at par with air fare. There are eight cabins (including two coupes) in the full AC First Class coach and three cabins (including one coupe) in the half AC First Class coach. The coach has an attendant to help the passengers. Bedding is included with the fare in IR. This air conditioned coach is present only on popular routes and can carry 18 passengers (full coach) or 10 passengers (half coach). The sleeper berths are extremely wide and spacious. The coaches are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal coupes. This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains. |
| 2A | AC-Two tier: These air-conditioned coaches have sleeping berths across eight bays. Berths are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach and two berths longways on the other side of the corridor, with curtains along the gangway or corridor. Bedding is included with the fare. A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers (full coach) or 20 passengers (half coach). This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains. |
| FC | First class: Same as 1AC but without air conditioning. No bedding is available in this class. The berths are wide and spacious. There is a coach attendant to help the passengers. This class has been phased out on most of the trains and is rare to find. However narrow gauge trains to hill stations have this class. |
| 3A | AC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with 64 sleeping berths. Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two longways as before giving eight bays of eight. They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge. This class is available only on broad gauge. |
| 3E | AC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains. Berths are usually arranged as in 3AC but with three tiers across the width and three longways. They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is not included with fare. |
| CC | AC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities. |
| EC | Executive class chair car: An air-conditioned coach with large spacious seats and legroom. It has a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities. This class of travel is only available on Shatabdi Express trains. |
| SL | Sleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach on IR, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached. These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach. |
| 2S | Seater class: same as AC Chair car, without the air-conditioning. These may be reserved in advance or may be unreserved. |
| UR | Unreserved: The cheapest accommodation. The seats are usually made up of pressed wood in older coaches but cushioned seats are found in new coaches. These coaches are usually over-crowded and a seat is not guaranteed. Tickets are issued in advance for a minimum journey of more than 24 hours. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket. |
At the rear of the train is a special compartment known as the guard's cabin. It is fitted with a transceiver and is where the guard usually gives the all clear signal before the train departs.
UNESCO world heritage sites[edit]
There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Indian Railways. – The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus[48] and the Mountain Railways of India. The latter consists of three separate railway lines located in different parts of India:[49]
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge railway in West Bengal.
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a 1,000 mm (3 ft 33⁄8 in) metre gauge railway in theNilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu.
- Kalka-Shimla Railway, a narrow gauge railway in the Shivalik mountains inHimachal Pradesh. In 2003 the railway was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for offering the steepest rise in altitude in the space of 96 kilometre.[50]
Notable trains[edit]
Tourist trains[edit]
- Palace on Wheels is a specially designed luxury tourist train service, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan. The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary, it departs from New Delhi (Day 1), and coversJaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day 3), Udaipur (Day 4),Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day 7), return to Delhi (Day 8).[51]
- Royal Rajasthan on Wheels a luxury tourist train service covers various tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The train takes tourists on a 7-day/8-night tour through Rajasthan. The train starts from New Delhi's Safdarjung railway station (Day 1), and has stops at Jodhpur (Day 2), Udaipur and Chittaurgarh (Day 3),Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur (Day 4), Khajuraho (Day 5), Varanasiand Sarnath (Day 6), Agra (Day 7) and back to Delhi (Day 8).[52]
- Maharaja Express a luxury train operated by IRCTC runs on five circuits[53]covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered around Rajasthan between the months of October to April.
- Deccan Odyssey luxury tourist train service covers various tourist destinations inMaharashtra and Goa. The 7 Nights / 8 Days tour starts from Mumbai (Day 1) and covers Jaigad Fort, Ganapatipule and Ratnagiri (Day 2), Sindhudurg,Tarkarli and Sawantwadi (Day 3), Goa (Day 4), Kolhapur and Pune (Day 5),Aurangabad and Ellora Caves (Day 6), Ajanta Caves and Nashik (Day 7), and back to Mumbai (Day 8).[54]
- The Golden Chariot luxury train runs on two circuits Pride of the South[55] andSplendor of the South.[56]
- Mahaparinirvan Express an a/c train service also known as Buddhist Circuit Train which is run by IRCTC to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The 7 nights/8 Days tour starts from New Delhi (Day 1) and covers Bodh Gaya (Day 2), Rajgir andNalanda (Day 3), Varanasi and Sarnath (Day 4), Kushinagar and Lumbini (Day 5 and 6), Sravasti (Day 7), Taj Mahal (Agra) (Day 8) before returning to New Delhi on (Day 8).[57]
Other trains[edit]
- Samjhauta Express is a train that runs between India and Pakistan. However, hostilities between the two nations in 2001 saw the line being closed. It was reopened when the hostilities subsided in 2004. Another train connectingKhokhrapar (Pakistan) and Munabao (India) is the Thar Express that restarted operations on 18 February 2006; it was earlier closed down after the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
- Lifeline Express is a special train popularly known as the "Hospital-on-Wheels" which provides healthcare to the rural areas. This train has a carriage that serves as an operating room, a second one which serves as a storeroom and an additional two that serve as a patient ward. The train travels around the country, staying at a location for about two months before moving elsewhere.
- Fairy Queen is the oldest operating locomotive in the world today, though it is operated only for specials between Delhi and Alwar. John Bull, a locomotive older than Fairy Queen, operated in 1981 commemorating its 150th anniversary.Gorakhpur railway station also has the distinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 4,483 ft (1,366 m). The Ghum station along the DarjeelingToy Train route is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by a steam locomotive.[58] The Mumbai–Pune Deccan Queen has the oldest running dining car in IR.
- Vivek Express, between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. It covers 4,286 km (2,663 mi) in about 82 hours and 30 minutes.
- Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India today having a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) on the Faridabad–Agra section. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184 km/h (114 mph) in 2000 during test runs.
- Special Trains are those trains started by Indian Railways for any specific event or cause which includes Jagriti Yatra trains,[59] Kumbh Mela Trains.,[60]emergency trains, etc.
- Double-decker AC trains have been introduced in India. The first double decker train was Pune-Mumbai Sinhagad express plying between Pune and Mumbai[62]while the first double-decker AC train in the Indian Railways was introduced in November 2010, running between the Dhanbad and Howrah stations having 10 coaches and 2 power cars.[63] On 16 April 2013, Indian Railways celebrated its 160 years of nationwide connectivity with a transportation of 23 million passengers in a day.[64]
Problems and issues[edit]
Indian Railways is cash strapped and reported a loss of ₹30,000 crores (₹300bn) in the passenger segment for the year ending March 2014. Operating ratio, a key metric used by Indian railways to gauge financial health, is 91.8% in the year 2014-15. Railways carry a social obligation of over ₹20,000 crores (₹200bn $3.5bn). The loss per passenger-km increased to 23 paise by the end of March 2014. Indian Railways is left with a surplus cash of just ₹690 crores (₹6.9bn $115mn) by the end of March 2014.[65]
It is estimated that over ₹ 5 lakh crores (₹5 trillion) (about $85 bn at 2014 exchange rates) is required to complete the ongoing projects alone. The railway is consistently losing market share to other modes of transport both in freight and passengers.[66]
New railway line projects are often announced during the Railway Budget annually without securing additional funding for them. In the last 10 years,[when?] 99 New Line projects worth ₹ 60,000 crore (₹600bn) were sanctioned out of which only one project is complete till date, and there are four projects that are as old as 30 years, but are still not complete for one reason or another.[4]
Sanjay Dina Patil a member of the Lok Sabha in 2014 said that additional tracks, height of platforms are still a problem and rise in tickets, goods, monthly passes has created an alarming situation where the common man is troubled.[67]
Mumbai Central railway station
Mumbai Central
ą¤®ुंą¤¬ą¤ ą¤øेंą¤्ą¤°ą¤² | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Railway Station Terminal Station | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Location | Anandrao Nair Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra India | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 18.9697°N 72.8194°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 6.62 metres (21.7 ft) | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Western Line | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 9 (5 for outstation trains + 4 for local trains) | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 9 | ||||||||||
| Connections | BEST, Metro, MSRTC | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Standard on-ground station | ||||||||||
| Parking | Yes (on the outstation side) | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Status | Functioning | ||||||||||
| Station code | BCT | ||||||||||
| Zone(s) | Western Railways | ||||||||||
| Division(s) | Mumbai WR railway division | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 18 December 1930 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | 18 December 1930 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Bombay Central | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
 
Mumbai Central
Location within Mumbai
| |||||||||||
Mumbai Central (formerly Bombay Central) is a major railway stationon the Western line, situated in Mumbai, in an area known by the same name.[1] Designed by British architect Claude Batley, it serves as a major stop for both local and inter-city/express trains with separate platforms for them . It is also a terminal for several long distance trains including the Mumbai Rajdhani Express. Trains depart from the station connecting various destinations mostly across states in the northern, eastern and north-eastern parts of India.
History[edit]
The Bombay Baroda Central India Rail organization has extended its reach from Baroda to Pathankot via Delhi. The Colaba-Ballard Pier Railway Station proved insufficient in meeting the demands of a growing population which led the government to make plans for the construction of Bombay Central. The present suburban route that once ran till Colaba was earlier served by Bellasis Road station.It was renamed Bombay central (local) after the construction of the long distance Bombay central terminus(BCT) on the eastern side.[2]
Services[edit]
- 12009/10 Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express toAhmedabad via Surat, Vadodara
- 12227/28 Indore AC Duronto Express to Indore
- 12239/40 Jaipur Duronto Express to Jaipur
- 12267/68 Ahmedabad Duronto Express to Ahmedabad via Surat,Vadodara
- 12901/02 Gujarat Mail to Ahmedabad via Surat, Vadodara
- 12903/04 Golden Temple Mail to Amritsar Junction, via Vadodara,Ratlam, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ambala
- 12921/22 Flying Ranee to Surat
- 12927/28 Vadodara Express to Vadodara
- 12931/32 Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad Double Decker Express toAhmedabad via Surat
- 12933/34 Karnavati Express to Ahmedabad via Surat, Vadodara
- 12951/52 Mumbai Rajdhani Express to New Delhi via Surat,Vadodara, Ratlam, Kota
- 12953/54 August Kranti Rajdhani Express to Hazrat Nizamuddin(Delhi) via Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam, Kota
- 12955/56 Jaipur Superfast Express to Jaipur via Surat, Vadodara,Ratlam, Kota, Sawai Madhopur
- 12961/62 Avantika Express to Indore via Ratlam, Ujjain
- 19005/06 Saurashtra Mail to Okha via Vadodara, Ahmedabad,Rajkot, Jamnagar
- 19011/12 Gujarat Express to Ahmedabad via Surat, Vadodara
- 19023/24 Firozpur Janata Express to Firozpur (Punjab) viaVadodara, Ratlam, Kota, New Delhi, Rohtak, Bhatinda
- 19215/16 Saurashtra Express to Porbandar via Vadodara,Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar
- 22209/10 Mumbai New Delhi Duronto Express
- 22913/14 Mumbai Central New Delhi Premium AC Express
In addition to these, some passenger trains and holiday special trains also depart from Mumbai Central.
Facilities[edit]
Platforms and Layout[edit]
The station is divided into two parts. The eastern half of the station serves long distance trains operated by Western Railways while the western half serves commuter trains running on the Churchgate-Virar suburban section of Western Railways. The mainline section has five high level platforms terminating in a large concourse on the southern end. The suburban section has four high level platforms. All the platforms are connected by foot overbridges and the mainline platforms are wheelchair accessible from the south end.
Tickets and Reservation[edit]
A large Passenger Reservation Center with several ticket windows is located on the east side of the mainline station. Tickets between any two stations in India on any train offering reserved accommodation can be purchased from this facility. There are many Unreserved Ticket Counters in the main concourse for purchasing unreserved tickets for immediate travel on express and passenger trains starting from Mumbai Central. The west and south exits of the suburban section of the station have ticket windows for purchasing tickets for travel on the suburban trains. Suburban train tickets can also be purchased from Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) located at several locations in the station premises.
Food and other Facilities[edit]
The concourse on the mainline side has a McDonalds outlet that is non functional at present and an outlet of Rajdhani chain of restaurants (not to be confused with the train, Rajdhani Express ) serving authentic Indian food.
Bellasis Rail CafƩ at Mumbai Central is located on the first floor near Bellasis Road overbridge connecting Mumbai Central station near the south end booking office. Items in this cafƩ are available in food packets, with ready to take away facility.
There are several stalls in the concourse and on the suburban platforms serving snacks, chips, bottled water and cold drinks (soda). There are book stalls in the main concourse and on the suburban platforms selling newspapers, magazines and other reading material. Train timetables are also available at the book stalls. Restrooms (toilets) are available in the concourse on the mainline side.
List of Mumbai Suburban Railway stations
This is a List of stations of theMumbai Suburban Railway, asuburban rail system serving theMumbai Metropolitan Region inMaharashtra, India.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway was opened in 1853. The system is operated by Western Railways andCentral Railways. Each route contains "slow" and "fast" tracks. "Slow" tracks are dedicated tracks for suburban trains, while "fast" tracks are shared with long distance trains operated byIndian Railways. Some railway stations on the network serve both suburban as well as long distance trains.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway comprises major 4 line - Western Line, Central Line, Harbour Line and Trans-Harbour Line. Each of these corridors may consist of additional lines that may intersect each other. The system usesrolling stock of broad gauge and consists of completely at-grade lines. The railway system is open from about 0400 to 0100 and has an average daily ridership of 7.24 million commuters.
Royapuram railway station
Royapuram Railway Station
ą®ą®°ாą®Æą®Ŗுą®°ą®®் ą®ą®°ą®Æிą®²் ą®Øிą®²ைą®Æą®®்
Station of Chennai Suburban Railway and Southern Railways 
Royapuram station
Owned by Ministry of Railways, Indian Railways Line(s) North, West, West North and West Southlines of Chennai Suburban Railway Platforms 4 Tracks 26 Construction Structure type Standard on-ground station Parking Available Other information Station code RPM Fare zone Southern Railways History Opened 28 June 1856[1][2] Electrified 9 August 1979[3] Previous names Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway
Royapuram railway station is a railway station at Royapuram, on theChennai Beach–Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railwaynetwork in Chennai, India. It is the oldest railway station currently operational in India (the original structures of the two older stations, Bombay and Thane, are no longer operational) and the first railway station of South India.[4][5] The first train of South India started operating in June 1856 from Royapuram railway station. The station also remained the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway till 1922, when the headquarters was shifted to Egmore.[6] Since the original structures of Bombay and Thane stations no longer exist, Royapuram station remains the oldest railway station in the entire subcontinent.[7]
Owing to lack of maintenance, Royapuram railway station building was degraded to a dilapidated condition over the decades.[8] One end of the station, which was formerly used as a military platform, became a playground with most of the area covered with overgrown scrub vegetation.[9] The other end of the station is being used for the transport of goods trains and the platform adjacent the main building is utilised for passenger trains.[10] In 2005, the building was refurbished at an estimated cost of ₹ 3.5 million and was re-opened to the public on 2 October 2005 by the then union minister of state for railways, Velu. It is the oldest surviving railway station structures of the Indian Railways,[1][2]as well as the Indian subcontinent.[11]
The Justice Padmanabhan committee, constituted by the Tamil Nadu state government, has identified the station as among the 800 heritage structures.[12] As per the city’s list of heritage structures, the station is under the Grade I category.[13]
Royapuram Railway Station
ą®ą®°ாą®Æą®Ŗுą®°ą®®் ą®ą®°ą®Æிą®²் ą®Øிą®²ைą®Æą®®் | |
|---|---|
| Station of Chennai Suburban Railway and Southern Railways | |
Royapuram station
| |
| Owned by | Ministry of Railways, Indian Railways |
| Line(s) | North, West, West North and West Southlines of Chennai Suburban Railway |
| Platforms | 4 |
| Tracks | 26 |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Standard on-ground station |
| Parking | Available |
| Other information | |
| Station code | RPM |
| Fare zone | Southern Railways |
| History | |
| Opened | 28 June 1856[1][2] |
| Electrified | 9 August 1979[3] |
| Previous names | Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway |
Royapuram railway station is a railway station at Royapuram, on theChennai Beach–Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railwaynetwork in Chennai, India. It is the oldest railway station currently operational in India (the original structures of the two older stations, Bombay and Thane, are no longer operational) and the first railway station of South India.[4][5] The first train of South India started operating in June 1856 from Royapuram railway station. The station also remained the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway till 1922, when the headquarters was shifted to Egmore.[6] Since the original structures of Bombay and Thane stations no longer exist, Royapuram station remains the oldest railway station in the entire subcontinent.[7]
Owing to lack of maintenance, Royapuram railway station building was degraded to a dilapidated condition over the decades.[8] One end of the station, which was formerly used as a military platform, became a playground with most of the area covered with overgrown scrub vegetation.[9] The other end of the station is being used for the transport of goods trains and the platform adjacent the main building is utilised for passenger trains.[10] In 2005, the building was refurbished at an estimated cost of ₹ 3.5 million and was re-opened to the public on 2 October 2005 by the then union minister of state for railways, Velu. It is the oldest surviving railway station structures of the Indian Railways,[1][2]as well as the Indian subcontinent.[11]
The Justice Padmanabhan committee, constituted by the Tamil Nadu state government, has identified the station as among the 800 heritage structures.[12] As per the city’s list of heritage structures, the station is under the Grade I category.[13]
History[edit]
Royapuram railway station is the place from where the laying down of the second railway line of the South Asia commenced in 1853. The idea of a railway in South India long predated any other railway lines in the Indian Subcontinent when a railway line for Madras was proposed in 1832.[14] In the early 1840s, about 15 years afterStephenson's steam engine undertook that historic Stockton-Darlington journey with its passenger coach, laying of a railway line in South India was discussed in London. In 1845, the Madras Railway Company was formed and the plan was still under discussion. Four years later, the Great India Peninsula Company was formed in 1849, which built a 21-mile-long route from Bori Bunder (later the Victoria Terminus) inBombay to Thane, becoming India's first railway line opened for traffic on 16 April 1853. With the Madras Railway Company reconstituting itself in 1849, the plans for a railway line in the south was revived further to the efforts by the mercantile community of Madras Presidency, which lobbied for rail connectivity.[14] Work on the southern line began in 1853 and the railway line was extended from Royapuram(Madras) to Arcot, then titular capital of the Nawab of the Carnatic (the present day Walajapet, near Ranipet in Tamil Nadu). Royapuram was selected as the location for the new station as it was on the edge of a settlement of British traders and natives near Fort St. George.[15] With the opening of the main terminus, the Royapuram station, on 28 June 1856 by the then Governor Lord Harris,[16] the railway line was opened for traffic on 1 July 1856. On the inaugural day, two services—Royapuram to Ambur and Royapuram to Tiruvallur—were operated.[12] The first train, manufactured by Simpson and Company, started its journey with the Governor and 300 European people from Royapuram to Walajapet and a stately dinner was arranged in Ambur. The second train carried Indian invitees to a shorter distance till "Triveloor" (the present dayThiruvallur). However, it is not known whether dinner was arranged for the people in the second train.
On 6 September 1856, the The Illustrated London News depicted the regal inauguration of the palatial railway station in Madras, in which the journal also described the second railway line in India:[8]
“ As the train proceeded across the arid plain of the Carnatic, it brought to view the counless number ... who thronged the route ... The train dashed by the masses of colours, here clustered by a bridge, there collected under the deep shade of a tope, crowded round a station house, or fringing the edges of a cutting, cheering loudly as the train flew by them. Now and then too, a hearty laugh broke forth when in passing some pasture ground, the lazy cattle, startled by the rushing shriek of the train, flew frantically away, sometimes followed by the scared herdsman himself, who, thinking that the fiery-fiend whom he saw approaching might crush him also, took to his heels with all his speed. ”
According to the journal, Captain Barnett Fort described the rooms in the Royapuram station as being "very elegant and most superbly furnished with handsome punkahs & c." Governor Lord Harris, in his speech, congratulated the Madras Railway company, its manager Major Jenkins and all who had worked on the railway and said that the cost of £5,500 a mile was well worth the investment and looked forward to equally expeditious completion of the additional 450 miles of track to the west coast, a little south of Calicut.
Since then, Royapuram was the only railway station in the city for about 17 years tillMadras Central Station became functional in 1873. From 1873, trains towards the northern regions of the country were operated from Chennai Central and those towards the southern regions of the state were operated from Royapuram station.
With the development of the Chennai Port, the cargoes from the port were transported via Royapuram station. This resulted in Egmore Railway Stationbecoming the terminus for southbound trains in 1907. On 9 August 1979, the lines at the station were electrified with the electrification of the Chennai Beach–Basin Bridge section. The lines from Royapuram to Korukkupet were electrified on 26 September 1987.[3] With the Korukkupet railway station becoming functional as the container terminus, the Royapuram station started functioning as one of the suburban stations in the Chennai Beach-Arokkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network. A building adjacent to the station built around the same time as that of the station, which was functioning as the headquarters of the Madras Railway Company, was demolished a few years ago.
Royapuram railway station is the place from where the laying down of the second railway line of the South Asia commenced in 1853. The idea of a railway in South India long predated any other railway lines in the Indian Subcontinent when a railway line for Madras was proposed in 1832.[14] In the early 1840s, about 15 years afterStephenson's steam engine undertook that historic Stockton-Darlington journey with its passenger coach, laying of a railway line in South India was discussed in London. In 1845, the Madras Railway Company was formed and the plan was still under discussion. Four years later, the Great India Peninsula Company was formed in 1849, which built a 21-mile-long route from Bori Bunder (later the Victoria Terminus) inBombay to Thane, becoming India's first railway line opened for traffic on 16 April 1853. With the Madras Railway Company reconstituting itself in 1849, the plans for a railway line in the south was revived further to the efforts by the mercantile community of Madras Presidency, which lobbied for rail connectivity.[14] Work on the southern line began in 1853 and the railway line was extended from Royapuram(Madras) to Arcot, then titular capital of the Nawab of the Carnatic (the present day Walajapet, near Ranipet in Tamil Nadu). Royapuram was selected as the location for the new station as it was on the edge of a settlement of British traders and natives near Fort St. George.[15] With the opening of the main terminus, the Royapuram station, on 28 June 1856 by the then Governor Lord Harris,[16] the railway line was opened for traffic on 1 July 1856. On the inaugural day, two services—Royapuram to Ambur and Royapuram to Tiruvallur—were operated.[12] The first train, manufactured by Simpson and Company, started its journey with the Governor and 300 European people from Royapuram to Walajapet and a stately dinner was arranged in Ambur. The second train carried Indian invitees to a shorter distance till "Triveloor" (the present dayThiruvallur). However, it is not known whether dinner was arranged for the people in the second train.
On 6 September 1856, the The Illustrated London News depicted the regal inauguration of the palatial railway station in Madras, in which the journal also described the second railway line in India:[8]
| “ | As the train proceeded across the arid plain of the Carnatic, it brought to view the counless number ... who thronged the route ... The train dashed by the masses of colours, here clustered by a bridge, there collected under the deep shade of a tope, crowded round a station house, or fringing the edges of a cutting, cheering loudly as the train flew by them. Now and then too, a hearty laugh broke forth when in passing some pasture ground, the lazy cattle, startled by the rushing shriek of the train, flew frantically away, sometimes followed by the scared herdsman himself, who, thinking that the fiery-fiend whom he saw approaching might crush him also, took to his heels with all his speed. | ” |
According to the journal, Captain Barnett Fort described the rooms in the Royapuram station as being "very elegant and most superbly furnished with handsome punkahs & c." Governor Lord Harris, in his speech, congratulated the Madras Railway company, its manager Major Jenkins and all who had worked on the railway and said that the cost of £5,500 a mile was well worth the investment and looked forward to equally expeditious completion of the additional 450 miles of track to the west coast, a little south of Calicut.
Since then, Royapuram was the only railway station in the city for about 17 years tillMadras Central Station became functional in 1873. From 1873, trains towards the northern regions of the country were operated from Chennai Central and those towards the southern regions of the state were operated from Royapuram station.
With the development of the Chennai Port, the cargoes from the port were transported via Royapuram station. This resulted in Egmore Railway Stationbecoming the terminus for southbound trains in 1907. On 9 August 1979, the lines at the station were electrified with the electrification of the Chennai Beach–Basin Bridge section. The lines from Royapuram to Korukkupet were electrified on 26 September 1987.[3] With the Korukkupet railway station becoming functional as the container terminus, the Royapuram station started functioning as one of the suburban stations in the Chennai Beach-Arokkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network. A building adjacent to the station built around the same time as that of the station, which was functioning as the headquarters of the Madras Railway Company, was demolished a few years ago.
Layout[edit]
Royapuram railway station ranks second in India in terms of space availability with 246,000 sq m, next to the Howrah stationin Kolkata.[12] The station, with an elevation of 7 m above sea level, is 1,015 m long and 420 m wide and covers about 72 acres.[17][18] Located at about 2 km from Chennai Central station, the station has about 28 tracks.[19] An island platformserves the suburban traffic in the station. The station building, marked by arches, ionic pillars and high-rise ceilings, is a heritage building.[12] However, the station has only 450 m track length, against the 1,000 m needed for a terminal.[5]
The station has a goods shed attached to it.[20]
Royapuram railway station ranks second in India in terms of space availability with 246,000 sq m, next to the Howrah stationin Kolkata.[12] The station, with an elevation of 7 m above sea level, is 1,015 m long and 420 m wide and covers about 72 acres.[17][18] Located at about 2 km from Chennai Central station, the station has about 28 tracks.[19] An island platformserves the suburban traffic in the station. The station building, marked by arches, ionic pillars and high-rise ceilings, is a heritage building.[12] However, the station has only 450 m track length, against the 1,000 m needed for a terminal.[5]
The station has a goods shed attached to it.[20]
Developments[edit]
In 2006, the Southern Railway planned to lease a portion of the terminus to the corporate sector for developing cement and fertilizer depots. When this move was opposed, the railway allotted ₹ 155.5 million for locomotivemaintenance shed in 2007.[17] The foundation stone for the electric loco shed, which will be the Southern Railway's third one afterArakkonam and Erode, was laid on 25 January 2007. The loco shed was planned with an initial capacity of 50 locos, which would be augmented to 100 and then to 150 in phases with an investment of ₹ 450 million, and would have an inspection bay for undertaking scheduled inspections and lifting bay for undertaking both minor and major repairs. A service building for maintenance of various equipments of locos was planned, which will have testing and overhauling facilities. In addition, the loco shed was to have a stores depot for day-to-day maintenance. The plan also included a foot overbridge and a godown facility for grains. The project was targeted for completion by June 2008.[21] However, this project is yet to be materialised.[22]
Southern Railway, which initially planned to make the station a hub for freight operations,[23] has now started a feasibility study to convert the heritage structure into a passenger terminal.[15] The station has large swathes of land spread across 72 acres, in which 16 platforms can be constructed. Parking bays for both public and private transportation can be created in north and south blocks. Presently, 16 long-distance express trains bound for eastern and western parts of the country are passing through the railway station and electric multiple units to Gummidipoondi and Arakkonam are operated from Chennai Beach railway station, along the same line.[24] There are demands from the public to develop the station into the third terminal of the city after Central and Egmore.[25]
In 2006, the Southern Railway planned to lease a portion of the terminus to the corporate sector for developing cement and fertilizer depots. When this move was opposed, the railway allotted ₹ 155.5 million for locomotivemaintenance shed in 2007.[17] The foundation stone for the electric loco shed, which will be the Southern Railway's third one afterArakkonam and Erode, was laid on 25 January 2007. The loco shed was planned with an initial capacity of 50 locos, which would be augmented to 100 and then to 150 in phases with an investment of ₹ 450 million, and would have an inspection bay for undertaking scheduled inspections and lifting bay for undertaking both minor and major repairs. A service building for maintenance of various equipments of locos was planned, which will have testing and overhauling facilities. In addition, the loco shed was to have a stores depot for day-to-day maintenance. The plan also included a foot overbridge and a godown facility for grains. The project was targeted for completion by June 2008.[21] However, this project is yet to be materialised.[22]
Southern Railway, which initially planned to make the station a hub for freight operations,[23] has now started a feasibility study to convert the heritage structure into a passenger terminal.[15] The station has large swathes of land spread across 72 acres, in which 16 platforms can be constructed. Parking bays for both public and private transportation can be created in north and south blocks. Presently, 16 long-distance express trains bound for eastern and western parts of the country are passing through the railway station and electric multiple units to Gummidipoondi and Arakkonam are operated from Chennai Beach railway station, along the same line.[24] There are demands from the public to develop the station into the third terminal of the city after Central and Egmore.[25]
Tambaram railway station
(Redirected from Tambaram Railway Station)
Tambaram
ą®¤ாą®®்ą®Ŗą®°ą®®்
ą¤¤ाą¤®्ą¤¬ą¤°ą¤®
Station of Chennai Suburban Railway and Southern Railways 
Tambaram Railway Station
Location GST Road, Tambaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Coordinates 12°5′16″N 80°32′48″E Owned by Ministry of Railways, Indian Railways Platforms 9 Construction Structure type Standard on-ground station Parking Available Other information Station code TBM Fare zone Southern Railways History Electrified 1931[1] Previous names South Indian Railway
Tambaram Railway Station is one of the railway terminal of the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It is situated at a distance of 6 km from the centre ofTambaram, a suburb of Chennai located 27 km south of the city centre. It is one of the fastest growing railway hubs outside Chennai Central in the southern direction. Everyday, on an average, around 150,000 commuters use the station. About 280 suburban electric trains operate from Tambaram, including those between Chennai Beach andChengalpattu and Kancheepuram.[2][3] Further, more than 25 expresses, including those bound for Howrah and other places in the north pass through the town. It is also third busiest station in the city (after Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore). The daily ticket sales at Tambaram fetch ₹ 1 million, half of which comes from suburban travellers. It is the second most revenue-generating station in Chennai after Moore Market Complex.[4] A total of 52 trains pass through the station.[5]
Tambaram Railway Station divides Tambaram into East Tambaram and West Tambaram. There are nine platforms in the station. Platforms 3 and 4 are not used as the metre gauge lines are yet to be taken up for conversion, whereas those between 5 and 9 are used by the suburban electric trains between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu andTirumalpur and also long distance express trains. Most of the suburban electric train services originating from Tambaram to Beach and Chengalpattu leave from the first two platforms. There is a foot overbridge connecting East and West Tambaram with access to all platforms. In 2008, Southern Railway started building an additional platform at the westernmost side of the railway station, making Platform No.1 a double-discharge platform, a design which helps commuters to alight on either side of the train, similar to the one at Park Railway Station, where the passengers could alight on the western side for quicker access to Chennai Central.[6]
(Redirected from Tambaram Railway Station)
Tambaram
ą®¤ாą®®்ą®Ŗą®°ą®®் ą¤¤ाą¤®्ą¤¬ą¤°ą¤® | |
|---|---|
| Station of Chennai Suburban Railway and Southern Railways | |
Tambaram Railway Station
| |
| Location | GST Road, Tambaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Coordinates | 12°5′16″N 80°32′48″E |
| Owned by | Ministry of Railways, Indian Railways |
| Platforms | 9 |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Standard on-ground station |
| Parking | Available |
| Other information | |
| Station code | TBM |
| Fare zone | Southern Railways |
| History | |
| Electrified | 1931[1] |
| Previous names | South Indian Railway |
Tambaram Railway Station is one of the railway terminal of the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It is situated at a distance of 6 km from the centre ofTambaram, a suburb of Chennai located 27 km south of the city centre. It is one of the fastest growing railway hubs outside Chennai Central in the southern direction. Everyday, on an average, around 150,000 commuters use the station. About 280 suburban electric trains operate from Tambaram, including those between Chennai Beach andChengalpattu and Kancheepuram.[2][3] Further, more than 25 expresses, including those bound for Howrah and other places in the north pass through the town. It is also third busiest station in the city (after Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore). The daily ticket sales at Tambaram fetch ₹ 1 million, half of which comes from suburban travellers. It is the second most revenue-generating station in Chennai after Moore Market Complex.[4] A total of 52 trains pass through the station.[5]
Tambaram Railway Station divides Tambaram into East Tambaram and West Tambaram. There are nine platforms in the station. Platforms 3 and 4 are not used as the metre gauge lines are yet to be taken up for conversion, whereas those between 5 and 9 are used by the suburban electric trains between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu andTirumalpur and also long distance express trains. Most of the suburban electric train services originating from Tambaram to Beach and Chengalpattu leave from the first two platforms. There is a foot overbridge connecting East and West Tambaram with access to all platforms. In 2008, Southern Railway started building an additional platform at the westernmost side of the railway station, making Platform No.1 a double-discharge platform, a design which helps commuters to alight on either side of the train, similar to the one at Park Railway Station, where the passengers could alight on the western side for quicker access to Chennai Central.[6]
History[edit]
The lines at the station were one of the first in Chennai to be electrified. They were energised on 1.5 kV DC in 1931 with the electrification of the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section, and the third line in the section was electrified on 15 January 1965. The lines further south from the station, up to Chengalpattu, were electrified on 9 January 1965. On 15 January 1967, all the lines were converted to 25 kV AC.[1]
The lines at the station were one of the first in Chennai to be electrified. They were energised on 1.5 kV DC in 1931 with the electrification of the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section, and the third line in the section was electrified on 15 January 1965. The lines further south from the station, up to Chengalpattu, were electrified on 9 January 1965. On 15 January 1967, all the lines were converted to 25 kV AC.[1]
Traffic[edit]
Every day, 160 train services are operated between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, 70 between Tambaram and Chengalpet and 16 between Tambaram and Kancheepuram.[7]
Ticket sales at Tambaram Station are the highest on the suburban sector. Monthly sales of tickets, which stood at 0.712 million in November 2010, went up to 0.75 million in November 2011, when the state government hiked bus fares. It shot up to 0.837 million in December 2011 and to 0.871 million in January 2012. In April 2012, the figure touched 0.826 million. Nearly 95 percent of the tickets sold are on the suburban sector, while the remaining are to neighbouring and southern districts.[8] As of 2013, about 20,000 people buy tickets at the station daily.[9]
Every day, 160 train services are operated between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, 70 between Tambaram and Chengalpet and 16 between Tambaram and Kancheepuram.[7]
Ticket sales at Tambaram Station are the highest on the suburban sector. Monthly sales of tickets, which stood at 0.712 million in November 2010, went up to 0.75 million in November 2011, when the state government hiked bus fares. It shot up to 0.837 million in December 2011 and to 0.871 million in January 2012. In April 2012, the figure touched 0.826 million. Nearly 95 percent of the tickets sold are on the suburban sector, while the remaining are to neighbouring and southern districts.[8] As of 2013, about 20,000 people buy tickets at the station daily.[9]
Hub terminal[edit]
In an effort to decongest the traffic at the Chennai Central railway station, Egmore was announced as the second terminal, and the railways has decided to make Tambaram as the third terminal so that the trains from southern districts could halt there.[10][11]
The station's proximity to the Central Warehousing Corporation’s godown located at Chitlapakkam makes it technically important. Four railway lines exist between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, two for up and down long distance trains and two for up and down suburban services. However, only two rail lines exist between Tambaram and Chengelpet, which are not enough to meet the growing demand of the section let alone its future requirements. March 2013 has been set as the deadline for the completion of the first phase of Tambaram station development project, and Southern Railway had prepared and submitted to the railway board a proposal to lay additional lines for a 30 km stretch from Tambaram to Chengelpet at an estimate of ₹ 2000 million but the board is yet to give its approval.[12] As a first step towards this, Southern Railways plans to set up a coaching terminal at Tambaram at an approximate cost of ₹ 340 million. It will have pit lines for maintenance, stabling lines and additional platforms.[13]
- Sheds
The station had a huge metre-gauge freight marshalling yard for Chennai, which has been closed.[14] It is also a former electric shed and home to the YAM-1 locomotives. Presently, the station has a broad-gauge EMU maintenance and car shed.[15] The EMU car shed was established in 1931 and has adequate facilities to maintain 12-coach rakes. As of 2006, the number of staff in charge of maintenance at the car shed is six per car.[16]
In an effort to decongest the traffic at the Chennai Central railway station, Egmore was announced as the second terminal, and the railways has decided to make Tambaram as the third terminal so that the trains from southern districts could halt there.[10][11]
The station's proximity to the Central Warehousing Corporation’s godown located at Chitlapakkam makes it technically important. Four railway lines exist between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, two for up and down long distance trains and two for up and down suburban services. However, only two rail lines exist between Tambaram and Chengelpet, which are not enough to meet the growing demand of the section let alone its future requirements. March 2013 has been set as the deadline for the completion of the first phase of Tambaram station development project, and Southern Railway had prepared and submitted to the railway board a proposal to lay additional lines for a 30 km stretch from Tambaram to Chengelpet at an estimate of ₹ 2000 million but the board is yet to give its approval.[12] As a first step towards this, Southern Railways plans to set up a coaching terminal at Tambaram at an approximate cost of ₹ 340 million. It will have pit lines for maintenance, stabling lines and additional platforms.[13]
- Sheds
The station had a huge metre-gauge freight marshalling yard for Chennai, which has been closed.[14] It is also a former electric shed and home to the YAM-1 locomotives. Presently, the station has a broad-gauge EMU maintenance and car shed.[15] The EMU car shed was established in 1931 and has adequate facilities to maintain 12-coach rakes. As of 2006, the number of staff in charge of maintenance at the car shed is six per car.[16]
Developments[edit]
The first broad gauge line at Tambaram was laid in 1995-96, which was part of the broad gauge conversion from Egmore. In 2004, platform 2 was converted to broad gauge line. In 2008, platform 1 was built. Subsequently, the conversion of lines at platforms 3, 4 and 5 into broad gauge was taken up but had to be halted due to a shortage of funds.[7]
A new station building with 10 ticket counters at the western side of the track was constructed at a cost of ₹ 13 million in 2003. Space was provided for food courts, coffee parlours, a medical shop and public call offices and also for shunting wagons. It was designed to have six retiring rooms, three of which were to be air-conditioned, in addition to two air-conditioned dormitories, deluxe waiting halls and a VIP lounge.[4]
Along the lines of a similar facility at the Chennai Central railway station, the Southern Railways constructed a bus bay in 2006 to serve the more than 100,000 passengers who travel by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses in Tambaram. On an average, Tambaram records an increase of 30,000 passengers every year for MTC buses. Everyday, 1,500 MTC buses are run from Tambaram to Mamallapuram, Tiruporur (on OMR), Kovalam and Vadamalli (on ECR),Sriperumbudur and Walajabad, among other places.[17]
On 5 January 2012, Southern Railway started preliminary works for shifting south-bound trains to Tambaram junction although there were protests against the proposal of making Tambaram the third terminal of Chennai after Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore. To begin with, the Southern Railway decided to construct an escalator at the main entrance and another at the eastern side (facing Madras Christian College). It was also decided to install common escalators for platforms 1 and 2 where passengers of suburban trains alight besides another one for passengers alighting from south-bound express trains on platforms 6 and 7, a feature already available at Egmore junction. The station has enough space to build three additional platforms.[18]
In 2014, an escalator connecting East Tambaram with the foot overbridge and platform 1A was installed in the station, the first of its kind in a suburban station around Chennai.[19]
The first broad gauge line at Tambaram was laid in 1995-96, which was part of the broad gauge conversion from Egmore. In 2004, platform 2 was converted to broad gauge line. In 2008, platform 1 was built. Subsequently, the conversion of lines at platforms 3, 4 and 5 into broad gauge was taken up but had to be halted due to a shortage of funds.[7]
A new station building with 10 ticket counters at the western side of the track was constructed at a cost of ₹ 13 million in 2003. Space was provided for food courts, coffee parlours, a medical shop and public call offices and also for shunting wagons. It was designed to have six retiring rooms, three of which were to be air-conditioned, in addition to two air-conditioned dormitories, deluxe waiting halls and a VIP lounge.[4]
Along the lines of a similar facility at the Chennai Central railway station, the Southern Railways constructed a bus bay in 2006 to serve the more than 100,000 passengers who travel by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses in Tambaram. On an average, Tambaram records an increase of 30,000 passengers every year for MTC buses. Everyday, 1,500 MTC buses are run from Tambaram to Mamallapuram, Tiruporur (on OMR), Kovalam and Vadamalli (on ECR),Sriperumbudur and Walajabad, among other places.[17]
On 5 January 2012, Southern Railway started preliminary works for shifting south-bound trains to Tambaram junction although there were protests against the proposal of making Tambaram the third terminal of Chennai after Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore. To begin with, the Southern Railway decided to construct an escalator at the main entrance and another at the eastern side (facing Madras Christian College). It was also decided to install common escalators for platforms 1 and 2 where passengers of suburban trains alight besides another one for passengers alighting from south-bound express trains on platforms 6 and 7, a feature already available at Egmore junction. The station has enough space to build three additional platforms.[18]
In 2014, an escalator connecting East Tambaram with the foot overbridge and platform 1A was installed in the station, the first of its kind in a suburban station around Chennai.[19]
Security[edit]
In 2011, the measures were taken to enhance the security at the railway station. Work on the integrated security system began on 17 August 2011, which will include more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, door-frame metal detectors, baggage screening devices costing about ₹ 4 million and a separate control room for the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for better communication and co-ordination with the headquarters. The station, which has 14 CCTV cameras, will get 26 more CCTV cameras in important locations, including on Platforms 3 and 4, the parking lot and the coach shed. Laying of cables has already begun. The existing analogue cameras at Tambaram will be converted into digital cameras. The high-resolution CCTV cameras, capable of zooming down to 100 m and being remote controlled, are enabled with Internet Protocol.[2]
The ₹ 400-million Integrated Security Surveillance System (ISSS) project is implemented jointly by the Southern Railways and HCL Infosystems.[20]
In 2011, the measures were taken to enhance the security at the railway station. Work on the integrated security system began on 17 August 2011, which will include more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, door-frame metal detectors, baggage screening devices costing about ₹ 4 million and a separate control room for the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for better communication and co-ordination with the headquarters. The station, which has 14 CCTV cameras, will get 26 more CCTV cameras in important locations, including on Platforms 3 and 4, the parking lot and the coach shed. Laying of cables has already begun. The existing analogue cameras at Tambaram will be converted into digital cameras. The high-resolution CCTV cameras, capable of zooming down to 100 m and being remote controlled, are enabled with Internet Protocol.[2]
The ₹ 400-million Integrated Security Surveillance System (ISSS) project is implemented jointly by the Southern Railways and HCL Infosystems.[20]
Accident rates[edit]
On the Guindy–Chengalpet suburban section, comprising 17 stations, the Chromepet–Tambaram stretch remains the deadliest with at least 15 accidents a month.[21]
On the Guindy–Chengalpet suburban section, comprising 17 stations, the Chromepet–Tambaram stretch remains the deadliest with at least 15 accidents a month.[21]
Train Timings[edit]
Tambaram has train facility from Early Morning 3 AM to Mid night 12 AM.For every 10 minutes we have beach to tambarm train.Chengalpattu to beach train flows for every 30 minutes.In Morning station is full of office goings.
Tambaram has train facility from Early Morning 3 AM to Mid night 12 AM.For every 10 minutes we have beach to tambarm train.Chengalpattu to beach train flows for every 30 minutes.In Morning station is full of office goings.
Chennai Central railway station
(Redirected from Chennai Central)
"Madras Central" redirects here. For the poem by Vijay Nambisan, see Madras Central (poem).
Chennai Central
(Madras Central)
ą®ெą®©்ą®©ை ą®Øą®ுą®µą®®்
Indian Railway Station
Terminal Station 
The main entrance of the station
Location EVR Periyar Salai, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 003[1][2]
India Coordinates 13°04′57″N 80°16′30″ECoordinates: 13°04′57″N 80°16′30″E Elevation 3.465 metres (11.37 ft) Owned by Government of India Operated by Indian Railways Line(s) Chennai-Delhi
Chennai-Howrah
Chennai-Mumbai
Chennai-Bangalore Platforms 15 (12 long distance,3 suburban) Connections MTC, Suburban Rail, MRTS Construction Structure type Romanesque[3] Parking Available Disabled access Yes Other information Status functioning Station code MAS Zone(s) Southern Railway Division(s) Chennai (Madras) History Opened 1873[4] Rebuilt 1959, 1998 Electrified 1931[5] Previous names Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Traffic Passengers (2012) 350,000/day Location
Chennai Central Station
Chennai Central Station (Chennai)
Chennai Central, erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras. It lies adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway, as well as the Ripon Building, and is one of the most important railway hubs inSouth India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram. Chennai Central connects the city to New Delhi and prominent cities of India such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal,Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna,Varanasi, Thiruvananthapuram, and so forth. The 142-year-old building of the railway station, one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai, was designed by architect George Harding.[6] Along with Chennai Beach, the station is also a main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railwaysystem.
Chennai Central serves as a symbolic landmark for people in South India as this station served as the main gateway for all people who travelled to South India during the British times. About 350,000 passengers use the terminus every day.[7] Chennai Egmore,Coimbatore Junction and Chennai Central are the most profitable stations of Southern Railways.[8] As per a report published in 2007 by the Indian Railways, Chennai Central and Secunderabad were awarded 183 points out of a maximum of 300 for cleanliness, the highest in the country.[9]
(Redirected from Chennai Central)
"Madras Central" redirects here. For the poem by Vijay Nambisan, see Madras Central (poem).
Chennai Central
(Madras Central) ą®ெą®©்ą®©ை ą®Øą®ுą®µą®®் | |
|---|---|
| Indian Railway Station Terminal Station | |
The main entrance of the station
| |
| Location | EVR Periyar Salai, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 003[1][2] India |
| Coordinates | 13°04′57″N 80°16′30″ECoordinates: 13°04′57″N 80°16′30″E |
| Elevation | 3.465 metres (11.37 ft) |
| Owned by | Government of India |
| Operated by | Indian Railways |
| Line(s) | Chennai-Delhi Chennai-Howrah Chennai-Mumbai Chennai-Bangalore |
| Platforms | 15 (12 long distance,3 suburban) |
| Connections | MTC, Suburban Rail, MRTS |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Romanesque[3] |
| Parking | Available |
| Disabled access | Yes |
| Other information | |
| Status | functioning |
| Station code | MAS |
| Zone(s) | Southern Railway |
| Division(s) | Chennai (Madras) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1873[4] |
| Rebuilt | 1959, 1998 |
| Electrified | 1931[5] |
| Previous names | Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers (2012) | 350,000/day |
| Location | |
Chennai Central Station
Chennai Central Station (Chennai)
| |
Chennai Central, erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras. It lies adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway, as well as the Ripon Building, and is one of the most important railway hubs inSouth India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram. Chennai Central connects the city to New Delhi and prominent cities of India such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal,Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna,Varanasi, Thiruvananthapuram, and so forth. The 142-year-old building of the railway station, one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai, was designed by architect George Harding.[6] Along with Chennai Beach, the station is also a main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railwaysystem.
Chennai Central serves as a symbolic landmark for people in South India as this station served as the main gateway for all people who travelled to South India during the British times. About 350,000 passengers use the terminus every day.[7] Chennai Egmore,Coimbatore Junction and Chennai Central are the most profitable stations of Southern Railways.[8] As per a report published in 2007 by the Indian Railways, Chennai Central and Secunderabad were awarded 183 points out of a maximum of 300 for cleanliness, the highest in the country.[9]
History[edit]
Marking the initial days of the railways in the Indian Subcontinent, the Madras Railway Company began to network South India in 1856. The first station was built at Royapuram, which remained the main station at that time. Expansion of the Madras Railways network, particularly the completion of the Madras–Vyasarpadi line,[10] called for a second station in Madras, resulting in Madras Central coming into being.[6]
Madras Central was built in 1873 at Parktown as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram harbour station, which was being utilised for port movements. The station was built on the open grounds that had once been called John Pereira's Gardens, belonging to Joao Pereira de Faria (John Pereira), a Portuguesemerchant in the port town of Negapatam (present day Nagapattinam) who settled in Madras in 1660. The garden had a house used by Pereira for rest and recreation. Having fallen into disuse, the garden had become a gaming den, with cock-fightingbeing the favourite sport at that time, until when the Trinity Chapel was built nearby in 1831 and the Railways moved into the area in the 1870s.[10]
In 1907, Madras Central was made the Madras Railway Company's main station.[11]The station gained prominence after the beach line was extended further south in the same year, and Royapuram was no longer a terminus for Madras.[12] All trains were then terminated at Madras Central instead. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company was formed in 1908 and took over the Central station from the Madras Railway Company.[11] The station's position was further strengthened after the construction of the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway (erstwhile Madras Railway and now known as the Southern Railway) adjacent to it in 1922.[13]
-
-
Madras Central was part of South Indian Railway Company during the British rule. The company was established in 1890 and was initially headquartered in Trichinopoly. Egmore Railway Station was made its northern terminus in 1908.[11] It was then shifted to Madurai and later to Madras Central. With the opening of the Egmore Railway Station, plans were first made of linking Madras Central and Egmore, which was later dropped.[11] The company operated a suburban electric train service for Madras city from May 1931 onwards in the Madras Beach-Tambaram section.[15] In 1959, additional changes were made to the station.[6] Electrification of the lines at the station began in 1979, when the section up to Gummidipoondi was electrified on 13 April 1979. The lines up to Tiruvallur were electrified on 29 November 1979 while the tracks along Platforms 1 to 7 were electrified on 29 December 1979.[16]
Marking the initial days of the railways in the Indian Subcontinent, the Madras Railway Company began to network South India in 1856. The first station was built at Royapuram, which remained the main station at that time. Expansion of the Madras Railways network, particularly the completion of the Madras–Vyasarpadi line,[10] called for a second station in Madras, resulting in Madras Central coming into being.[6]
Madras Central was built in 1873 at Parktown as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram harbour station, which was being utilised for port movements. The station was built on the open grounds that had once been called John Pereira's Gardens, belonging to Joao Pereira de Faria (John Pereira), a Portuguesemerchant in the port town of Negapatam (present day Nagapattinam) who settled in Madras in 1660. The garden had a house used by Pereira for rest and recreation. Having fallen into disuse, the garden had become a gaming den, with cock-fightingbeing the favourite sport at that time, until when the Trinity Chapel was built nearby in 1831 and the Railways moved into the area in the 1870s.[10]
In 1907, Madras Central was made the Madras Railway Company's main station.[11]The station gained prominence after the beach line was extended further south in the same year, and Royapuram was no longer a terminus for Madras.[12] All trains were then terminated at Madras Central instead. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company was formed in 1908 and took over the Central station from the Madras Railway Company.[11] The station's position was further strengthened after the construction of the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway (erstwhile Madras Railway and now known as the Southern Railway) adjacent to it in 1922.[13]
Madras Central was part of South Indian Railway Company during the British rule. The company was established in 1890 and was initially headquartered in Trichinopoly. Egmore Railway Station was made its northern terminus in 1908.[11] It was then shifted to Madurai and later to Madras Central. With the opening of the Egmore Railway Station, plans were first made of linking Madras Central and Egmore, which was later dropped.[11] The company operated a suburban electric train service for Madras city from May 1931 onwards in the Madras Beach-Tambaram section.[15] In 1959, additional changes were made to the station.[6] Electrification of the lines at the station began in 1979, when the section up to Gummidipoondi was electrified on 13 April 1979. The lines up to Tiruvallur were electrified on 29 November 1979 while the tracks along Platforms 1 to 7 were electrified on 29 December 1979.[16]
Expansion[edit]
In the 1980s, the Southern Railway required land for expansion of the terminus and was looking for the erstwhile Moore Market building located next to the terminus. In 1985, when the market building caught fire and was destroyed, the structure was transferred to the Railways by the government, and the Railways built a 13-storied complex to house the suburban terminus and railway reservation counter. The land in front of the building was made into a car park.[17] Following the renaming of the city of Madras in 1996, the station became known as Chennai Central. Due 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. After this duplication of the main building, the station had 12 platforms.[6] Capacity at the station was further augmented when the multi-storeyed Moore Market Complex was made a dedicated terminus with three separate platforms for the Chennai Suburban Railway system. In the 1990s, when the IRCTC was formed, modular stalls came up and food plazas were set up.[18]
In 2005, the buildings were painted a light brown colour, but concurring with the views of a campaign by the citizens of Chennai and also to retain the old nostalgic charm, they were repainted in their original brick-red color.[19] The station is the first in India to be placed on the cyber map.[6]
In the 1980s, the Southern Railway required land for expansion of the terminus and was looking for the erstwhile Moore Market building located next to the terminus. In 1985, when the market building caught fire and was destroyed, the structure was transferred to the Railways by the government, and the Railways built a 13-storied complex to house the suburban terminus and railway reservation counter. The land in front of the building was made into a car park.[17] Following the renaming of the city of Madras in 1996, the station became known as Chennai Central. Due 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. After this duplication of the main building, the station had 12 platforms.[6] Capacity at the station was further augmented when the multi-storeyed Moore Market Complex was made a dedicated terminus with three separate platforms for the Chennai Suburban Railway system. In the 1990s, when the IRCTC was formed, modular stalls came up and food plazas were set up.[18]
In 2005, the buildings were painted a light brown colour, but concurring with the views of a campaign by the citizens of Chennai and also to retain the old nostalgic charm, they were repainted in their original brick-red color.[19] The station is the first in India to be placed on the cyber map.[6]
Location[edit]
The terminus lies on the southern arm of the diamond junction of Chennai's railway network, where all the lines of the Chennai Suburban Railway meet. The terminus is located about 19 km from Chennai International Airport. The main entrance is located at Park Town at the intersection of the arterial Poonamallee High Road, Pallavan Salai, and Wall Tax Road between the People's Park and the Southern Railways headquarters. The station premises is located on either side of theBuckingham Canal, formerly known as Cochrane's Canal, which separates the main station and the suburban terminus. Wall Tax Road runs alongside the station on the eastern side. There are two other entrances on the eastern and western sides of the complex. The eastern entrance on Wall Tax Road leads to platform no. 1,[20] and the western entrance lies at the entrance of the suburban terminus. The station is connected with the Park railway station and the Government General Hospital, both located across the road, by means of subways. During the building of the Chennai Metro the connection from Chennai Park to Chennai Central is by means of a steel footbridge.
Areas around Chennai Central
Nehru Stadium Basin Bridge Junction Wall Tax Road Ripon Building 
Southern Railways headquarters
Chennai Central
Park Railway Station Park Town MRTS station Government General Hospital
The terminus lies on the southern arm of the diamond junction of Chennai's railway network, where all the lines of the Chennai Suburban Railway meet. The terminus is located about 19 km from Chennai International Airport. The main entrance is located at Park Town at the intersection of the arterial Poonamallee High Road, Pallavan Salai, and Wall Tax Road between the People's Park and the Southern Railways headquarters. The station premises is located on either side of theBuckingham Canal, formerly known as Cochrane's Canal, which separates the main station and the suburban terminus. Wall Tax Road runs alongside the station on the eastern side. There are two other entrances on the eastern and western sides of the complex. The eastern entrance on Wall Tax Road leads to platform no. 1,[20] and the western entrance lies at the entrance of the suburban terminus. The station is connected with the Park railway station and the Government General Hospital, both located across the road, by means of subways. During the building of the Chennai Metro the connection from Chennai Park to Chennai Central is by means of a steel footbridge.
| Nehru Stadium | Basin Bridge Junction | Wall Tax Road | |
| Ripon Building | | Southern Railways headquarters | ||
| ||||
| ||||
| Park Railway Station | Park Town MRTS station | Government General Hospital |
Layout[edit]
Architecture[edit]
Built in the Gothic Revival style, the original station was designed by George Harding and consisted of four platforms[21][22]and a capacity to accommodate 12-coach trains.[18] It took another five years for the work to be completed, when the station was modified further by Robert Fellowes Chisholm with the addition of the central clock tower, Travancore 'caps' on the main towers, and other changes.[23] The redesign was eventually completed in 1900.[6] The main building, a combination ofGothic and Romanesque styles[6] has been declared as a heritage building.[24] The clock tower with the flagstaff, the tallest of the towers of the main building, has four faces and reaches a height of 136 ft.[25] It is set to chime every quarter of an hour and every hour.[6][18]
Built in the Gothic Revival style, the original station was designed by George Harding and consisted of four platforms[21][22]and a capacity to accommodate 12-coach trains.[18] It took another five years for the work to be completed, when the station was modified further by Robert Fellowes Chisholm with the addition of the central clock tower, Travancore 'caps' on the main towers, and other changes.[23] The redesign was eventually completed in 1900.[6] The main building, a combination ofGothic and Romanesque styles[6] has been declared as a heritage building.[24] The clock tower with the flagstaff, the tallest of the towers of the main building, has four faces and reaches a height of 136 ft.[25] It is set to chime every quarter of an hour and every hour.[6][18]
Platforms[edit]
Chennai Central station is a terminal station with bay platforms. The average length of railway tracks in the station is 600 metres.[26] The entire complex has 15 platforms to handle long-distance trains with 3 platforms exclusively for suburban trains. The total length of the station is about 950 m. The main building has 12 platforms and handles long distance trains. The complex for suburban trains is popularly known as theMoore Market complex. There is a platform 2A between platforms 2 and 3; it is used to handle relatively short trains like the Rajadhani Express, Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express, Bangalore/Mysore Shatabdi Express and the Gudur Passenger. The 13-storied annexe building, the Moore Market Complex Building, has 3 platforms and handles north- and westbound suburban trains.
Chennai Central used to have trains with special liveries until the early 1990s. The Brindavan Express used to have green livery with a yellow stripe running above and below the windows; Nilgiri Express (popularly known as the Blue Mountain Express) had blue livery. All trains now have the standard blue livery (denoting air-braked bogies). Notable exceptions include the Rajadhani, Shatabdi and the Jan Shatabdi expresses. The Saptagiri/Tirupati Express has a vivid green/cream livery combination with a matching WAM4 6PE loco from Arakkonam (AJJ) electric loco shed.
The Chennai Central Station, unlike many other major railway stations in India, is a terminus. The next station to Chennai Central, Basin Bridge Junction, is the railway junction where three different lines meet.
As of 2015, all platforms except 2A platforms, in the station were able to accommodate trains with 24 coaches. Platform 2A is the shortest of all platforms in the station and can accommodate trains with 18 coaches.[27] Chennai Central is the only station that has a platform numbered 2A. Though it was built actually for delivering water and goods to the station staff, theShatabdi Express now starts from here.
Chennai Central station is a terminal station with bay platforms. The average length of railway tracks in the station is 600 metres.[26] The entire complex has 15 platforms to handle long-distance trains with 3 platforms exclusively for suburban trains. The total length of the station is about 950 m. The main building has 12 platforms and handles long distance trains. The complex for suburban trains is popularly known as theMoore Market complex. There is a platform 2A between platforms 2 and 3; it is used to handle relatively short trains like the Rajadhani Express, Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express, Bangalore/Mysore Shatabdi Express and the Gudur Passenger. The 13-storied annexe building, the Moore Market Complex Building, has 3 platforms and handles north- and westbound suburban trains.
Chennai Central used to have trains with special liveries until the early 1990s. The Brindavan Express used to have green livery with a yellow stripe running above and below the windows; Nilgiri Express (popularly known as the Blue Mountain Express) had blue livery. All trains now have the standard blue livery (denoting air-braked bogies). Notable exceptions include the Rajadhani, Shatabdi and the Jan Shatabdi expresses. The Saptagiri/Tirupati Express has a vivid green/cream livery combination with a matching WAM4 6PE loco from Arakkonam (AJJ) electric loco shed.
The Chennai Central Station, unlike many other major railway stations in India, is a terminus. The next station to Chennai Central, Basin Bridge Junction, is the railway junction where three different lines meet.
As of 2015, all platforms except 2A platforms, in the station were able to accommodate trains with 24 coaches. Platform 2A is the shortest of all platforms in the station and can accommodate trains with 18 coaches.[27] Chennai Central is the only station that has a platform numbered 2A. Though it was built actually for delivering water and goods to the station staff, theShatabdi Express now starts from here.
Bridge[edit]
Bridge No.7 across the Buckingham Canal connects the terminus with the railway yards and stations to the north. The bridge, measuring 33.02 m in length and carrying six tracks, acts as the gateway to the terminus. The bridge was originally resting on cast iron screw pile. Following the 2001 accident of Mangalore–Chennai express killing 52 passengers, Southern Railway started replacing all bridges resting on screw piles, and the bridge was replaced with a new RCC box bridge resting on well foundation in September 2010, with ancillary works getting completed by March 2011.[28]
Bridge No.7 across the Buckingham Canal connects the terminus with the railway yards and stations to the north. The bridge, measuring 33.02 m in length and carrying six tracks, acts as the gateway to the terminus. The bridge was originally resting on cast iron screw pile. Following the 2001 accident of Mangalore–Chennai express killing 52 passengers, Southern Railway started replacing all bridges resting on screw piles, and the bridge was replaced with a new RCC box bridge resting on well foundation in September 2010, with ancillary works getting completed by March 2011.[28]
Traffic[edit]
Main article: List of trains at Chennai Central
On an average, 19 trains are operated daily from the station of which 12 have 24 coaches.[27] About 200 trains arrive and depart at the station daily, including about 46 pairs of mail/express trains, in addition to 257 suburban trains handled by the three platforms at the station's suburban terminus.[29][30][31] About 400,000 passengers use the terminus every day,[7] in addition to 20,000 visitors accompanying them to see-off or receive them,[18] generating a revenue of ₹ 6,590,214,293 as of 2012–2013, making it the top revenue-generating station of the Southern Railway. There is likely to be around 180,000 passengers in the station at a given point.[18]
The terminus also faces traffic problems. Often, express trains and EMU services that arrive at the Basin Bridge Junction in time have to be detained for non-availability of platforms at Chennai Central. Blocking of lines is a daily challenge owing to the traffic.[32]
Main article: List of trains at Chennai Central
On an average, 19 trains are operated daily from the station of which 12 have 24 coaches.[27] About 200 trains arrive and depart at the station daily, including about 46 pairs of mail/express trains, in addition to 257 suburban trains handled by the three platforms at the station's suburban terminus.[29][30][31] About 400,000 passengers use the terminus every day,[7] in addition to 20,000 visitors accompanying them to see-off or receive them,[18] generating a revenue of ₹ 6,590,214,293 as of 2012–2013, making it the top revenue-generating station of the Southern Railway. There is likely to be around 180,000 passengers in the station at a given point.[18]
The terminus also faces traffic problems. Often, express trains and EMU services that arrive at the Basin Bridge Junction in time have to be detained for non-availability of platforms at Chennai Central. Blocking of lines is a daily challenge owing to the traffic.[32]
Services[edit]
Chennai Central is a major transit point for shipment of inland and sea fish in South India through trains. The terminus handles fish procured from Kasimedu which is sent to Kerala and sea fish from the West Coast which is brought to Chennai and ferried to West Bengal. As of 2012, on an average, the terminus handles transportation of 200 boxes of fish, each comprising 50 kg to 70 kg of consumable fish.[33] The station also handles 5,000 postal bags daily.[34]
Chennai Central is a major transit point for shipment of inland and sea fish in South India through trains. The terminus handles fish procured from Kasimedu which is sent to Kerala and sea fish from the West Coast which is brought to Chennai and ferried to West Bengal. As of 2012, on an average, the terminus handles transportation of 200 boxes of fish, each comprising 50 kg to 70 kg of consumable fish.[33] The station also handles 5,000 postal bags daily.[34]
Facilities[edit]
The station has bookshops, restaurants, accommodation facilities, Internet browsing centres, and a shopping mall. The main waiting hall can hold up to 1,000 people.[35] In spite of being the most important terminus of the region, the station lacks several facilities such as drinking water facility,[7] a medical unit[30] and coach position display boards.[36] The main concourses too have long exhausted their capacity to handle the increasing passenger crowd.[37] There are passenger operated enquiry terminals and seven touch-screen PNR status machines in the station.[38] The station has threesplit-flap timing boards,[39] electronic display boards and Plasma TVs that mention train timings and platform number.[31][40] A passenger information center in the station has been upgraded with "Spot your Train" live train display facility, information kiosks and passenger digital assistance booths.[29] The terminus, however, has only 10 toilets, which is inadequate to its 350,000 passengers.[41]
As of 2008, there were 607 licensed railway porters in Chennai Central.[42] Four-seater battery operated vehicles are available to cater to the needs of the elderly and the physically impaired.[43]
On 26 September 2014, Chennai Central station 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.[44]
- Emergency medical care
In November 2012, a public interest writ petition was filed in the Madras High Court citing the lack of a full-fledged emergency medical care centre at the terminus.[45] Further to this, the Southern Railway invited expression of interest from several hospitals in the city to establish a medical care centre.[46][47]
On 15 April 2013, a new emergency medical care centre was opened. The centre has three beds, two doctors on duty and another on standby, four nurses, a paramedic team, and a round-the-clock ambulance. The centre is equipped with oxygen cylinders, an ECG, a defibrillator and resuscitation equipment. The terminus is the first railway station in the country to have facilities of an ambulance.[48]
- Parking
The station has parking facilities for more than 1,000 two-wheelers.[49] About 1,000 cars are parked in the standard car park every day. Since March 2008, a premium car park facility for 80 cars in addition to its regular car park is functioning at the station. The cement-concrete-paved premium parking is located between the Moore Market reservation complex and the station's main building.[50] However, the station still faces parking problems. About 3,000 taxis arrives at the station every day.[51]
The station has bookshops, restaurants, accommodation facilities, Internet browsing centres, and a shopping mall. The main waiting hall can hold up to 1,000 people.[35] In spite of being the most important terminus of the region, the station lacks several facilities such as drinking water facility,[7] a medical unit[30] and coach position display boards.[36] The main concourses too have long exhausted their capacity to handle the increasing passenger crowd.[37] There are passenger operated enquiry terminals and seven touch-screen PNR status machines in the station.[38] The station has threesplit-flap timing boards,[39] electronic display boards and Plasma TVs that mention train timings and platform number.[31][40] A passenger information center in the station has been upgraded with "Spot your Train" live train display facility, information kiosks and passenger digital assistance booths.[29] The terminus, however, has only 10 toilets, which is inadequate to its 350,000 passengers.[41]
As of 2008, there were 607 licensed railway porters in Chennai Central.[42] Four-seater battery operated vehicles are available to cater to the needs of the elderly and the physically impaired.[43]
On 26 September 2014, Chennai Central station 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.[44]
- Emergency medical care
In November 2012, a public interest writ petition was filed in the Madras High Court citing the lack of a full-fledged emergency medical care centre at the terminus.[45] Further to this, the Southern Railway invited expression of interest from several hospitals in the city to establish a medical care centre.[46][47]
On 15 April 2013, a new emergency medical care centre was opened. The centre has three beds, two doctors on duty and another on standby, four nurses, a paramedic team, and a round-the-clock ambulance. The centre is equipped with oxygen cylinders, an ECG, a defibrillator and resuscitation equipment. The terminus is the first railway station in the country to have facilities of an ambulance.[48]
- Parking
The station has parking facilities for more than 1,000 two-wheelers.[49] About 1,000 cars are parked in the standard car park every day. Since March 2008, a premium car park facility for 80 cars in addition to its regular car park is functioning at the station. The cement-concrete-paved premium parking is located between the Moore Market reservation complex and the station's main building.[50] However, the station still faces parking problems. About 3,000 taxis arrives at the station every day.[51]
Maintenance[edit]
Chennai Central suffers from lack of enough maintenance crew, which lead to dirty and unhygienic trains. According to the Railway sources, as of July 2012, Chennai Central was 180 short of the sanctioned 405 maintenance employees, including mechanical, electrical and general maintenance, required for cleaning the interiors and exteriors of trains and undertaking routine mechanical and electrical maintenance of trains.[52] Contracts for cleaning the station has been awarded for a period of three years from 2010 for a value of ₹ 43.1 million.[53] In 2007, the number of dustbins in the station was 28.50 per 10,000 passengers.[9]
On average, about 51 train units depart and arrive at the station from different parts of the country everyday. Of the 102 trains, a 12 are sent during the day and another 7 at night to the Basin Bridge Train Care Centre[54] for primary maintenance, which involves complete exterior and interior cleaning and total mechanical and electrical overhaul. The rest of the trains go through secondary maintenance or 'other-end attention' at the depot or 'turn back train attention' at Chennai Central itself. Secondary maintenance includes filling water, while the third is the 'other-end attention', in which the train, especially the toilets, is cleaned. The fourth category of trains, such as Sapthagiri Express and Pallavan Express, are turn-back trains, which arrive and leave in a short time from Chennai Central after toilet-cleaning and water-filling is done right at the terminus platform.[52]
Chennai Central suffers from lack of enough maintenance crew, which lead to dirty and unhygienic trains. According to the Railway sources, as of July 2012, Chennai Central was 180 short of the sanctioned 405 maintenance employees, including mechanical, electrical and general maintenance, required for cleaning the interiors and exteriors of trains and undertaking routine mechanical and electrical maintenance of trains.[52] Contracts for cleaning the station has been awarded for a period of three years from 2010 for a value of ₹ 43.1 million.[53] In 2007, the number of dustbins in the station was 28.50 per 10,000 passengers.[9]
On average, about 51 train units depart and arrive at the station from different parts of the country everyday. Of the 102 trains, a 12 are sent during the day and another 7 at night to the Basin Bridge Train Care Centre[54] for primary maintenance, which involves complete exterior and interior cleaning and total mechanical and electrical overhaul. The rest of the trains go through secondary maintenance or 'other-end attention' at the depot or 'turn back train attention' at Chennai Central itself. Secondary maintenance includes filling water, while the third is the 'other-end attention', in which the train, especially the toilets, is cleaned. The fourth category of trains, such as Sapthagiri Express and Pallavan Express, are turn-back trains, which arrive and leave in a short time from Chennai Central after toilet-cleaning and water-filling is done right at the terminus platform.[52]
Yards and sheds[edit]
Train care centre[edit]
A broad-gauge coach maintenance depot, called the Basin Bridge Train Care Centre, is located at the northern side of the terminus, where trains of 18 to 24 coaches are checked, cleaned and readied for its next trip after they return from round trips.[56][57] It is the largest train care centre under the Southern Railway where 30 pairs of trains are inspected every day. The yard has 14 pit lines, each 3-ft deep, to inspect undercarriage of trains, but only two lines can accommodate 24-coach trains. The rest are designed to park 18-coach trains. Five to six people are allotted to each train. As of 2012, the centre has 3,500 employees, a shortage of about 400.[57]
A broad-gauge coach maintenance depot, called the Basin Bridge Train Care Centre, is located at the northern side of the terminus, where trains of 18 to 24 coaches are checked, cleaned and readied for its next trip after they return from round trips.[56][57] It is the largest train care centre under the Southern Railway where 30 pairs of trains are inspected every day. The yard has 14 pit lines, each 3-ft deep, to inspect undercarriage of trains, but only two lines can accommodate 24-coach trains. The rest are designed to park 18-coach trains. Five to six people are allotted to each train. As of 2012, the centre has 3,500 employees, a shortage of about 400.[57]
Electric trip shed[edit]
The terminus has an electric locomotive trip shed, the Basin Bridge electric loco trip shed, located north of the train care centre. It is one of the five loco trip sheds of the Southern Railway.[61] To lessen load on the shed, an additional electric trip shed has been created at Tondiarpet, which also serves as a crew change point for freights.[62]
The terminus has an electric locomotive trip shed, the Basin Bridge electric loco trip shed, located north of the train care centre. It is one of the five loco trip sheds of the Southern Railway.[61] To lessen load on the shed, an additional electric trip shed has been created at Tondiarpet, which also serves as a crew change point for freights.[62]
Goods shed[edit]
The terminus has a goods shed attached to it at Salt Cotaurs.[63]
The terminus has a goods shed attached to it at Salt Cotaurs.[63]
Renovation[edit]
Chennai Central Station gets renovation after 2010, is undertaken by the building division of the Southern Railway with the technical assistance provided by the Chennai circle of Archaeological Survey of India. the work is carried out to ensure the original character of the building is maintained.The Station building has maroon colour since its inception in 1873.[64]
Chennai Central Station gets renovation after 2010, is undertaken by the building division of the Southern Railway with the technical assistance provided by the Chennai circle of Archaeological Survey of India. the work is carried out to ensure the original character of the building is maintained.The Station building has maroon colour since its inception in 1873.[64]
Connectivity[edit]
Chennai Central railway station is a hub for suburban trains. Suburban lines originating from Chennai Central include West North Line, North Line, and West Line.[65] Chennai Park suburban station is in proximity to the station, thus facilitating connectivity to Tambaram/Chengalpet/Tirumalpur routes through South Line andSouth West Line. Chennai Central can be directly reached from all suburban stations and MRTS stations in and around Chennai (except Washermanpet and Royapuram) either through its own MMC Complex for suburban trains or through the nearby Park suburban station or the Park Town MRTS station. Currently, there is only one direct suburban train that plies from Chennai Beach Junction to Chennai Central via Washermanpet and Royapuram, and hence there is no frequent direct connectivity for these two stations to Chennai Central. The Chennai Park TownMRTS station is close to Chennai Central station.
Chennai Central is connected to the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus and other parts of the city by buses operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation,[66] by means of separate bus lanes near the main entrance, close to the concourse. There are prepaid auto and taxi stands at the station premises.[67] However, only 30 autorickshaws are presently attached to the prepaid counter parking, as Chennai Metro Rail has acquired its parking area for station construction.[68]
The terminus is connected to the Park railway station and the Government General Hospital by two subways on either side. The two subways, which are one of the first in the city, are used by thousands of commuters day round.[69] Nevertheless, jaywalking prevails as a substantial number of commuters prefer crossing the road,[70] at times resulting in accidents.[69]
The terminus is connected with the Egmore station, the other most important terminus of the city, by a circuitous and congested route covering a distance of 11.2 km via Chennai Beach. There was initially a proposal to connect the two termini by means of an elevated section with double-line broad-gauge electrified track with two elevated platforms at Chennai Central, at the cost of ₹ 930 million, which would cut the distance to 2.5 km.[71][72] The project, approved on 8 April 2003 and initially aimed to be completed by 2005, was later scrapped owing to the expected rate of return on the project being only 1 to 2 percent,[73] poor soil conditions on the Poonamallee High Road,[74] and other issues.[75]
Chennai Central railway station is a hub for suburban trains. Suburban lines originating from Chennai Central include West North Line, North Line, and West Line.[65] Chennai Park suburban station is in proximity to the station, thus facilitating connectivity to Tambaram/Chengalpet/Tirumalpur routes through South Line andSouth West Line. Chennai Central can be directly reached from all suburban stations and MRTS stations in and around Chennai (except Washermanpet and Royapuram) either through its own MMC Complex for suburban trains or through the nearby Park suburban station or the Park Town MRTS station. Currently, there is only one direct suburban train that plies from Chennai Beach Junction to Chennai Central via Washermanpet and Royapuram, and hence there is no frequent direct connectivity for these two stations to Chennai Central. The Chennai Park TownMRTS station is close to Chennai Central station.
Chennai Central is connected to the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus and other parts of the city by buses operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation,[66] by means of separate bus lanes near the main entrance, close to the concourse. There are prepaid auto and taxi stands at the station premises.[67] However, only 30 autorickshaws are presently attached to the prepaid counter parking, as Chennai Metro Rail has acquired its parking area for station construction.[68]
The terminus is connected to the Park railway station and the Government General Hospital by two subways on either side. The two subways, which are one of the first in the city, are used by thousands of commuters day round.[69] Nevertheless, jaywalking prevails as a substantial number of commuters prefer crossing the road,[70] at times resulting in accidents.[69]
The terminus is connected with the Egmore station, the other most important terminus of the city, by a circuitous and congested route covering a distance of 11.2 km via Chennai Beach. There was initially a proposal to connect the two termini by means of an elevated section with double-line broad-gauge electrified track with two elevated platforms at Chennai Central, at the cost of ₹ 930 million, which would cut the distance to 2.5 km.[71][72] The project, approved on 8 April 2003 and initially aimed to be completed by 2005, was later scrapped owing to the expected rate of return on the project being only 1 to 2 percent,[73] poor soil conditions on the Poonamallee High Road,[74] and other issues.[75]
Environmental impact[edit]
The portion of the Buckingham canal running near the terminus and beneath Pallavan Salai is covered for 250 m, which makes the task of maintaining the canal difficult. After being desilted in 1998, the covered stretch of the canal near the terminus was cleaned in September 2012. Garbage is dumped into the canal via the openings near the Chennai Central premises. An estimated 6,000 cubic meters of silt was removed from the 2-m-deep canal.[76]
The portion of the Buckingham canal running near the terminus and beneath Pallavan Salai is covered for 250 m, which makes the task of maintaining the canal difficult. After being desilted in 1998, the covered stretch of the canal near the terminus was cleaned in September 2012. Garbage is dumped into the canal via the openings near the Chennai Central premises. An estimated 6,000 cubic meters of silt was removed from the 2-m-deep canal.[76]
Incidents[edit]
On 14 August 2006, a major fire broke out in Chennai Central station, completely destroying a bookshop.[77]
On 29 April 2009, a suburban EMU train from Chennai Central Suburban terminal was hijacked by an unidentified man, who rammed it into a stationary goods train at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Chennai Central. 4 passengers were killed and 11 were injured.[78] The train which was scheduled to depart at 5:15 am started at 4:50 am instead.[79] The train was moving with a speed of 92 km per hour with 35 passengers on board at the time of collision.[80]
On 6 August 2012, a man hailing from Nepal perched atop the clock tower of the station's main building, creating a commotion. He was later safely persuaded back down the tower by the City Police and Southern Railway officials.[25]
On 14 August 2006, a major fire broke out in Chennai Central station, completely destroying a bookshop.[77]
On 29 April 2009, a suburban EMU train from Chennai Central Suburban terminal was hijacked by an unidentified man, who rammed it into a stationary goods train at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Chennai Central. 4 passengers were killed and 11 were injured.[78] The train which was scheduled to depart at 5:15 am started at 4:50 am instead.[79] The train was moving with a speed of 92 km per hour with 35 passengers on board at the time of collision.[80]
On 6 August 2012, a man hailing from Nepal perched atop the clock tower of the station's main building, creating a commotion. He was later safely persuaded back down the tower by the City Police and Southern Railway officials.[25]
Security[edit]
In a first of its kind for the railways, a bomb disposal squad of the railway protection force, equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets imported at a cost of over ₹ 2.5 million, was inaugurated at Chennai Central on May 2002. The squad functions round the clock and its personnel were trained at the National Security Guard Training Centre at Maneswar and the Tamil Nadu Commando School.[83] In 2009, following the train accident at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station, surveillance cameras were installed at the suburban terminus platforms. A security boundary wall 200 m long was erected along platform 14 to check unauthorised persons entering the station. Two security booths were planned, one each at the main terminus and the suburban terminus.[84] A government railway police (GRP) station is located on the first floor at the western end,[85] headed by a DSP and two inspectors.[86]
In 2009, 39 CCTV cameras were installed in the premises along with a control room.[87] In 2012, about 120 CCTV cameras are to be installed in Chennai Central.[88] In April 2012, the GRP and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) together launched a helpline known as Kaakum karangal (literally meaning 'Protecting hands'). This involved dividing the terminus into six sectors and deploying 24 police personnel for security.[89]
On 15 November 2012, Integrated Security System (ISS) was launched at the station, which comprises sub-systems such as CCTV surveillance system with 54 IP-based cameras, under-vehicle scanning system (UVSS) for entries and exits, and personal and X-ray baggage screening system. In addition, explosive detection and disposal squad have been deployed. The sub-system will be integrated by networking and monitored at the centralised control rooms. Existing CCTV network of suburban platforms has also been integrated to this system.[88][90][91]
In a first of its kind for the railways, a bomb disposal squad of the railway protection force, equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets imported at a cost of over ₹ 2.5 million, was inaugurated at Chennai Central on May 2002. The squad functions round the clock and its personnel were trained at the National Security Guard Training Centre at Maneswar and the Tamil Nadu Commando School.[83] In 2009, following the train accident at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station, surveillance cameras were installed at the suburban terminus platforms. A security boundary wall 200 m long was erected along platform 14 to check unauthorised persons entering the station. Two security booths were planned, one each at the main terminus and the suburban terminus.[84] A government railway police (GRP) station is located on the first floor at the western end,[85] headed by a DSP and two inspectors.[86]
In 2009, 39 CCTV cameras were installed in the premises along with a control room.[87] In 2012, about 120 CCTV cameras are to be installed in Chennai Central.[88] In April 2012, the GRP and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) together launched a helpline known as Kaakum karangal (literally meaning 'Protecting hands'). This involved dividing the terminus into six sectors and deploying 24 police personnel for security.[89]
On 15 November 2012, Integrated Security System (ISS) was launched at the station, which comprises sub-systems such as CCTV surveillance system with 54 IP-based cameras, under-vehicle scanning system (UVSS) for entries and exits, and personal and X-ray baggage screening system. In addition, explosive detection and disposal squad have been deployed. The sub-system will be integrated by networking and monitored at the centralised control rooms. Existing CCTV network of suburban platforms has also been integrated to this system.[88][90][91]
Future[edit]
In 2004, a second terminal was planned near the Moore Market Complex, with six platforms to be constructed in the first phase of the project and four platforms each in the second and third phases. For additional infrastructure, the goods yard atSalt Cotaurs will be closed to provide more pit line and stabling line facilities for the new terminal.[32]
In 2007, the Railway Board declared a plan to develop the terminus into a world-class one at a cost of ₹200 million(US$2.9 million),[92] along with two other stations (Thiruvananthapuram Central and Mangalore Central),[93] and a high-level committee was formed in 2009 to expedite the project at a total cost of ₹1000 million (US$15 million).[94] The plan included creating multi-level platforms where express and suburban trains could arrive and depart from the same complex.[93]However, the project is yet to begin.[95]
An underground metro station of the ongoing Chennai Metro Rail project is under construction at the Chennai Central station. It is one of the two metro stations where Corridor I (Airport–Washermanpet) of the project will intersect with Corridor II (Chennai Central–St. Thomas Mount via Egmore, CMBT). The metro station, being constructed at a depth of 25 metres (82 ft), will be the largest of all metro stations in the city with an area of over 70,000 square metres (750,000 sq ft).[96] The station will act as a transit point for passengers from the Central, Park Town, and Park railway stations.[97] It is estimated that more than 100,000 commuters will utilise the station daily.[96]
In June 2012, the first skywalk in Chennai connecting Chennai Central, Park Railway Station and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was planned at a cost of ₹200 million (US$2.9 million).[98] It will be 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long, linking the station with nine points, including Evening Bazaar, Government Medical College and Ripon Buildings on Poonamallee High Road.
In February 2013, as part of a national initiative to eliminate ballast tracks at major stations, washable aprons—ballastless tracks or tracks on a concrete bed—were installed along the entire length of tracks of platforms 3, 4 and 5 at the terminus. Washable aprons that are already present for a few metres in some of the platforms at the terminus will be extended, viz. 30 metres (98 ft) on platform 3, 200 metres (660 ft) on platform 4, and 50 metres (160 ft) on platform 5, while new ones will be built on platforms with ballast tracks.[99]
In 2004, a second terminal was planned near the Moore Market Complex, with six platforms to be constructed in the first phase of the project and four platforms each in the second and third phases. For additional infrastructure, the goods yard atSalt Cotaurs will be closed to provide more pit line and stabling line facilities for the new terminal.[32]
In 2007, the Railway Board declared a plan to develop the terminus into a world-class one at a cost of ₹200 million(US$2.9 million),[92] along with two other stations (Thiruvananthapuram Central and Mangalore Central),[93] and a high-level committee was formed in 2009 to expedite the project at a total cost of ₹1000 million (US$15 million).[94] The plan included creating multi-level platforms where express and suburban trains could arrive and depart from the same complex.[93]However, the project is yet to begin.[95]
An underground metro station of the ongoing Chennai Metro Rail project is under construction at the Chennai Central station. It is one of the two metro stations where Corridor I (Airport–Washermanpet) of the project will intersect with Corridor II (Chennai Central–St. Thomas Mount via Egmore, CMBT). The metro station, being constructed at a depth of 25 metres (82 ft), will be the largest of all metro stations in the city with an area of over 70,000 square metres (750,000 sq ft).[96] The station will act as a transit point for passengers from the Central, Park Town, and Park railway stations.[97] It is estimated that more than 100,000 commuters will utilise the station daily.[96]
In June 2012, the first skywalk in Chennai connecting Chennai Central, Park Railway Station and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was planned at a cost of ₹200 million (US$2.9 million).[98] It will be 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long, linking the station with nine points, including Evening Bazaar, Government Medical College and Ripon Buildings on Poonamallee High Road.
In February 2013, as part of a national initiative to eliminate ballast tracks at major stations, washable aprons—ballastless tracks or tracks on a concrete bed—were installed along the entire length of tracks of platforms 3, 4 and 5 at the terminus. Washable aprons that are already present for a few metres in some of the platforms at the terminus will be extended, viz. 30 metres (98 ft) on platform 3, 200 metres (660 ft) on platform 4, and 50 metres (160 ft) on platform 5, while new ones will be built on platforms with ballast tracks.[99]
In popular culture[edit]
Chennai Central railway station is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city that is often featured in movies and other pop culture in the region. The station has been used in numerous Indian novels and film and television productions over the years. Many films and television programs have been filmed at the station, including:
![[icon]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png)
This section requires expansion.(January 2014)
- Cochin Express (1967) (Malayalam)[100]
- Madrasapattinam (2010) (Tamil)
The station has been poetized by Vijay Nambisan in his 1988 award-winning poem 'Madras Central' published in 1989. The poem is regarded as a modern classic.[101][102]
Chennai Central railway station is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city that is often featured in movies and other pop culture in the region. The station has been used in numerous Indian novels and film and television productions over the years. Many films and television programs have been filmed at the station, including:
| This section requires expansion.(January 2014) |
- Cochin Express (1967) (Malayalam)[100]
- Madrasapattinam (2010) (Tamil)
The station has been poetized by Vijay Nambisan in his 1988 award-winning poem 'Madras Central' published in 1989. The poem is regarded as a modern classic.[101][102]
No comments:
Post a Comment