Chennai Egmore Railway Station, Hotels near Egmore Railway Station

One of the main railway terminals of the city, Chennai Egmore railway station was formerly called Madras Egmore.

Built on 2.5 acres of land, this station acts as the departure and arrival point for trains connecting Chennai and central and southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The station’s architectural dome is one the prominent landmark of Chennai.

History of Chennai Egmore Railway Station:

Known as Ezhumbur in Tamil, this station was initially a fort called as Egmore Redo. The 1.8 acres of land for the station was acquired by Dr. Paul Andy who was the first Indian to receive a British medical degree. Initially.

He resisted giving the land but after much perseverance from the South Indian Railway (SIR) company he agreed to sell the land for Rs. 100,000.

The construction of the station then started on September 1905 by T. Samynada Pillai of Bangalore. About Rs. 1.7 million was spent on the construction. The station became officially functional on June 11, 1908.

The most attractive feature of the station is its Gothic style of architecture with grand domes and corridors. During the initial days, the station was run with the help of generators as there was no electricity. In 1951, the station became major meter gauge terminal.

Structure of Chennai Egmore Railway Station:

The 300-ft by 70-ft building lying between two flyovers is 750 m long and has 11 platforms. Platform 1, 2 and 3 are used for short trains and are situated on the eastern side. Platform number 4 leads to the portico and lays under the dome along with other platforms 5, 6 and 7.

These platforms are used for long distance trains. While, platforms 10 and 11 take care of the broad-gauge electric multiple units. This standard on-ground station handles about 35 main line trains and 118 suburban trains.

Maintenance of Chennai Egmore Railway Station:

Egmore Railway Yard is the place for train care. The maintenance of the train has been divided under two zones. Zone 1 (for platforms 1 to 6) and zone 2 (for platforms 7 to 11). The contract for cleaning the station is generally given to an agency for the duration for 3 years.

Security has been also well taken care of at the Egmore Railway Station. A helpline was launched by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on April 2012, known as Kaakum karangal (Protecting hands).

Staying in Chennai is never a problem as there are many affordable and luxurious hotels in the city. And if one is looking for a good stay near the station itself then there are plenty of options to choose from.