119-583: Thirumullaivoyal railway station is one of the railway stations on the Chennai Central – Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network . It serves the neighbourhoods of moondru nagar, Jayalakshmi Nagar, Senthil Nagar and Thirumullaivoyal and a suburb of Chennai located 17 km west of the city centre. It is situated at Senthil Nagar near Ambattur and has an elevation of 21.73 m above sea level . The first lines in
238-533: A 20-day strike . The first metro rail was introduced in Calcutta on 24 October 1984. In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced. In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi . Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was introduced in Delhi. In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier and sleeper were introduced. In 1995, Chennai MRTS became
357-543: A contractual basis in Zone I (platforms 1 to 6). Zone II (platforms 7 to 12) was cleaned by close to 40 railway employees. 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. It is the largest train care centre under
476-441: A defibrillator and resuscitation equipment. The terminus is the first railway station in the country to have facilities of an ambulance. The station has parking facilities for more than 1,000 two-wheelers. 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
595-1171: A few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. As of March 2020, 602 block sections have intermediate block signals. Indian Railways primarily uses coloured signal lights , which replaced the earlier semaphores and disc-based signalling . It uses two-aspect, three-aspect and four (or multiple) aspect color signalling across its network. Signals at most stations are interlocked using panel interlocking , route-relay interlocking or electronic interlocking methods that eliminate scope for human signalling errors. Indian Railways uses track circuiting , and block proving axle counters for train detection. As of March 2023, 6,523 stations have interlocked and multi-aspect signalling. Around 99% of key routes have track circuitry or block proving axle counters for automated train detection and Kavach automatic train protection system has been implemented in 1,445 km (898 mi) of tracks. The railways has about 59,105 km (36,726 mi) of optical fiber cable network used for train control, voice and data communication with 3,445 km (2,141 mi) of
714-441: A four or five letter code. The locomotives may be Longer Hood Front (LHF), where the driver cabin is behind the hood of the engine or Short Hood Front (SHF), where the cabin is located towards the front. Multiple units (MU) are propelled by locomotives integrated with train-sets. In 2015, the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered MUs were rolled out by ICF. In 2018, the semi-high speed self-propelled Vande Bharat train-set
833-552: A horse-drawn tramway began operation in Bombay between Colaba and Parel . In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built railway lines across the then Hyderabad State from Kachiguda . In 1877, an Ajmer built F-1/734 Steam Locomotive became the first indigenously built locomotive in India. In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced with Jodhpur Railway,
952-586: A house used by Pereira for rest and recreation. Having fallen into disuse, the garden had become a gaming den, with cockfighting being 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. In 1907, Madras Central was made the Madras Railway Company's main station. The station gained prominence after the beach line
1071-508: A long-term effort, Project Unigauge , aims to convert most of these to broad gauge. As of 31 March 2023 , 65,978 km (40,997 mi) or 96.20% of the network was broad-gauge, 1,345 km (836 mi) or 1.96% metre-gauge and 1,262 km (784 mi) or 1.84% narrow-gauge. The broad-gauge network is equipped with long-welded , high-tensile 52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails with pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers and elastic fastenings. As of July 2020, there are seven major routes
1190-761: A number of manufacturing units , training establishments , PSUs and other undertakings under the purview of the Indian Railways. Staff are classified into gazetted (Groups A and B) and non-gazetted (Groups C and D) employees with gazetted employees carrying out executive/managerial level tasks. As of March 2023, Groups A & B constitute 1.5% of the total workforce, while Group C & D account for 98.5%. 80% of Group-A employees are recruited through Indian Railways Management Service with remaining through promotions. Group B employees are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group C employees are through exams conducted by
1309-450: 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. 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 per cent, poor soil conditions on
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#17328871180801428-569: A semi-high speed self-propelled train-set capable of reaching speeds of over 160 km/h (99 mph) was rolled out from ICF and the Vande Bharat Express was launched in 2019. Indian Railways announced plans to become a net-zero carbon emission railway by 2030 and has implemented rainwater harvesting at stations, reforestation along the tracks, introduction of solar-powered trains, installation of solar and wind power generation facilities, and sustainable LED lighting at all
1547-516: A single metre gauge line from Chennai Beach to Tambaram . In the period between 1925 and 1944, the management of the railway companies in the British presidencies and provinces were taken over by the Government. In 1950, there were about 42 different railway companies operating about 55,000 km (34,000 mi) tracks across the country. These railway companies were amalgamated in steps to form
1666-620: A single entity named as Indian Railways. In December 1950, the Central Advisory Committee for Railways approved the plan for re-organizing Indian Railways into six regional zones with the Southern (14 April 1951), Central (5 November 1951), and Western (5 November 1951) zones being the first to be created. In 1952, fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in passenger trains and sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches. The first diesel locomotive used in India
1785-571: A ticket holder to board the train and share a berth. Reserved tickets can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice at higher fares through the Tatkal train ticket , where no refund is applicable on cancellation. A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train. Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations or through UTS mobile app at any time before departure. Holders of such tickets may only board
1904-460: A total length of 11,295 km (7,018 mi) which have been classified as High-Density Network (HDN) routes or Trunk routes. There is 60% traffic on these routes, which are designed for speed limit of 160 km/h . These Trunk route include Chennai–Howrah , Chennai–Mumbai , Delhi–Chennai , Delhi–Howrah , Howrah–Mumbai , Mumbai–Delhi and Delhi–Guwahati. The first electric train ran in Bombay in 1925 on DC traction. In 1928, DC traction
2023-530: Is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India that operates India's national railway system. As of 2023 , it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size with a track length of 132,310 km (82,210 mi), running track length of 106,493 km (66,172 mi) and route length of 68,584 km (42,616 mi). As of August 2024 , 96.59% of
2142-507: Is about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) from the Chennai Egmore railway station . The terminus connects the city to major cities of India, including Bangalore , Kolkata , Mumbai , and New Delhi , and different parts of India. The century-old building of the railway station, designed by architect George Harding, is one of the most prominent landmarks in Chennai. The station is also a main hub for
2261-559: Is an NSG–1 category Indian railway station in Chennai railway division of Southern Railway zone . It is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai , Tamil Nadu , India . It is the busiest railway station in South India and one of the most important hubs in the country. It is connected to Moore Market Complex railway station , Chennai Central metro station , Chennai Park railway station , and Chennai Park Town railway station . It
2380-467: 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 kilograms (110 lb) to 70 kilograms (150 lb) of consumable fish. The station also handles 5,000 postal bags daily. 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. In spite of being
2499-469: Is carried out to ensure the original character of the building is maintained. The Station building has maroon colour since its inception in 1873. In February 2019, as part of the Railway Ministry's plan to install flag masts at 75 major stations in the country, a 100-foot flag mast was installed at the front of the main building of the station at a cost of ₹ 1.5 million. Weighing around 2 tonnes,
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#17328871180802618-471: Is connected to West Bengal with a construction of new rail link connecting Tripura with Akhaura . Two rail links to Nepal exist as of 2021, with a third under construction. There is an existing railink with Pakistan through Attari – Wagah border. Indian Railways uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements. As of March 2023, around 3,549 km (2,205 mi) of
2737-523: Is divided into 18 administrative zones (17 operational), headed by general managers which are further subdivided into 71 operating divisions , headed by divisional railway managers (DRM). The divisional officers of the respective operating verticals report to the DRMs and divisional heads and are tasked with the operation and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements through their stations' territory. In addition, there are
2856-400: Is in proximity to the station, thus facilitating connectivity to Tambaram / Chengalpet / Tirumalpur routes through South Line and South 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
2975-723: 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 the grounds known as the Kannappar Thidal in Periyamet, on either side of the Buckingham Canal , formerly known as Cochrane's Canal, which separates the main station and the suburban terminus. Wall Tax Road runs alongside
3094-507: Is located between the Moore Market reservation complex and the station's main building. However, the station still faces parking problems. About 3,000 taxis arrives at the station every day. 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
3213-501: Is set to chime every quarter of an hour and every hour. The station has a platform area of 51,182 square metres (excluding the suburban station building) and the total building area of the main station is 14,062 square metres. Chennai Central is a terminal station with bay platforms . The average length of railway tracks in the station is 600 metres. The entire complex has 17 platforms to handle long-distance trains with 5 platforms exclusively for suburban trains. The total length of
3332-499: The 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. Chennai Central is the only station that has a platform numbered 2A. Though it was built actually for delivering water and goods to
3451-633: The Chennai Suburban Railway system. It lies adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway and the Ripon Building . During the British Raj , the station served as the gateway to South India, and the station is still used as a landmark for the city and the state. The station was renamed twice: first to reflect the name change of the city from Madras to Chennai in 1998, it
3570-712: 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, called for a second station in Madras, resulting in Madras Central coming into being. Madras Central was built in 1873 at Park Town around
3689-587: 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 Town MRTS station is close to Chennai Central station. An underground metro station of the Chennai Metro namely Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central metro station serves as
Thirumullaivoyal railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-588: The Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB) and Group D staffs are recruited by zonal Railway Recruitment Cells (RRC). Indian Railways operates seven centralized training institutes and 295 training centers. It also provides housing , healthcare and education facilities for staff. Indian Railways has various public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other organisations under its purview: Indian Railways also has multiple bodies and undertakings under its purview such as: The first trains in
3927-515: The 1800s were hauled by imported steam locomotives. In 1877, the first locomotive was built in India. Electric locomotives were introduced in 1925 and diesel locomotives later in 1954. By 1990s, steam locomotives were phased out and are currently operated only on mountrain railways and on heritage trains . Locomotives are classified by track gauge ( broad / metre / narrow / narrower ), motive power (electric/diesel/battery), function (passenger/goods/mixed), power rating (x1000 HP ) and model in
4046-731: The 1960s, Electric multiple units (EMU) were developed for short-haul and suburban rail transit. On regional short-distance routes, Mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU) and Diesel electrical multiple unit (DEMU) trains are run. These train sets run in formation of 6, 9, 12 or 15 coaches and a three-car set is typified by a motor coaches and two passenger coaches. These train-sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration. In 2018, Indian Railways also rolled out semi-high speed self-propelled train sets with modified coaches for inter city trains. Indian Railways hauls variety of cargo to cater to various requirements and have specialized rolling stock corresponding to
4165-582: 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. Chennai Central railway station 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
4284-608: The Buckingham Canal by means of drainage channels. However, as the yard is located in a basin area, water does not drain quickly enough. In addition, the centre faces pests and other hygiene issues too. The terminus has an electric locomotive trip shed, the Basin Bridge electric locomotive trip shed, located north of the train care centre. It is one of the five locomotive trip sheds of the Southern Railway. To lessen load on
4403-631: The Gudur Passenger. The 13-storied annexe building, the Moore Market Complex building, has 5 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
4522-409: The Indian Railways and public sector companies BEML and BHEL. The coaching stock have unique five or six digit identifiers. Till 2018, the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and the last three digits indicating the class. In 2018, the numbering system was changed with the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and the last four digits indicating the sequence number. In
4641-690: The Poonamallee High Road, and other issues. 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
4760-474: The Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central is among the most profitable stations of the Southern Railway . As per a report published in 2007 by the Indian Railways , Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central and Secunderabad Junction were awarded 183 points out of a maximum of 300 for cleanliness, the highest in the country. Marking the initial days of the railways in
4879-415: 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. Water accumulated in pit lines are let out into
Thirumullaivoyal railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-671: The Southern Railway) adjacent to it in 1922. 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. 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
5117-401: The addition of the central clock tower, Travancore 'caps' on the main towers, and other changes. The redesign was eventually completed in 1900. The main building, a combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles has been declared as a heritage building . 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. It
5236-419: 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. On an average, 89 trains are operated daily from the station of which 12 have 24 coaches. About 400 trains arrive and depart at the station daily, including about 86 pairs of mail/express trains, in addition to 857 suburban trains handled by the five platforms at
5355-466: The broad-gauge network is electrified . With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the world's ninth-largest employer and India's second largest employer . In 1951, the Indian Railways was established by the amalgamation of 42 different railway companies operating in the country, spanning a total of 55,000 km (34,000 mi). The railway network across the country was reorganized into six regional zones in 1951–52 for administrative purposes, which
5474-481: The building of the Chennai Metro the connection from Chennai Park to Chennai Central is by means of a steel footbridge. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the original station was designed by George Harding and consisted of four platforms and a capacity to accommodate 12-coach trains. It took another five years for the work to be completed, when the station was modified further by Robert Fellowes Chisholm with
5593-453: The cargo hauled. There are 243 types of rolling stock used for cargo operations. These include covered wagons , boxcars , flat wagons , flatbeds , open wagons , hoppers , containers , automobile carriers, defense vehicle carriers and tankers . The freight cars can often carry loads from 10 to 80 tonnes per car depending on the configuration. A new wagon numbering system was adopted in Indian Railways in 2003. The requirement of wagons
5712-669: The city with an area of over 70,000 square metres (750,000 sq ft). The station will act as a transit point for passengers from the Central, Park Town, and Park railway stations. It is estimated that more than 100,000 commuters will utilise the station daily. Chennai Central is connected to the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus and other parts of the city by buses operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation , by means of separate bus lanes near
5831-536: The country every day. Of the 102 trains, a 12 are sent during the day and another 7 at night to the Basin Bridge Train Care Centre 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
5950-488: The country's entire broad gauge rail network by 2023. Post electrification, 30 billion kWh of electricity will be required on an annual basis for Indian Railways. As of 1 August 2024 , Indian Railways has electrified 64,080 km (39,820 mi) or 96.59% of the total broad-gauge route length. Indian Railway uses 25 kV AC traction on all its electrified tracks. India shares land border with multiple countries and have rail-links with some of them. Bangladesh
6069-483: The country. It operates luxury tourist trains such as Maharajas' Express , Palace on Wheels , Golden Chariot and Deccan Odyssey , deluxe tourist trains such as Mahaparinirvan Express . It also operates heritage and exhibition trains on special circumstances. In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced before which ticketing was done manually. Self-printing ticket machines (SPTM) were introduced in 1988. Centralized computer reservation system
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#17328871180806188-754: The entire rail network would be electrified by 2023. In March 2020, Indian Railways announced a nationwide shutdown of passenger service to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in India with the freight operations continuing to transport essential goods. The railways resumed passenger services in a phased manner in May 2020. Starting in the 2010s, various infrastructure modernization projects have been undertaken including high-speed rail , redevelopment of 400 stations, doubling tracks to reduce congestion, refurbishing of coaches, Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled tracking of trains and modernization of locomotives. In 2018,
6307-600: The first metro system and the only system operated by Indian Railways was commissioned. Opened in November 1995, Chennai MRTS became the first operational elevated railway line in India. Indian Railways operates suburban railway systems across the cities of Mumbai (suburban), Chennai (suburban and MRTS), Kolkata (suburban and metro) and Secunderabad (MMTS) covering six railway zones. Indian Railways offers tour packages through IRCTC. It operates tourist trains and coach services on popular tourist circuits in different regions of
6426-578: The first coach manufacturing unit in India. These coaches, manufactured from 1955 to 2018, were largely in use till the early 2010s. From the late 1990s, the ICF coaches were replaced by safer and newer LHB coaches designed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany . In the late 2010s, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of select trains from LHB to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features. As of March 2023, Indian Railways' had 84,863 passenger coaches. Coaches are manufactured by five manufacturing units of
6545-412: The first in the city, are used by thousands of commuters day round. Nevertheless, jaywalking prevails as a substantial number of commuters prefer crossing the road, at times resulting in accidents. 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
6664-473: The first operational elevated railway line in India. Centralized computer reservation system was deployed in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in September 1996, coupon validating machines (CVMs) were introduced at Mumbai CSMT in 1998 and the nationwide concierge system began operation on 18 April 1999. The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
6783-611: The first runs beginning in December 1959 with the WAM-1 locomotives. The first containerized freight rail transport began between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966. In 1969, the Government of India announced the introduction of a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) in the railway budget and the first Rajdhani Express was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah in March 1969. In 1974, Indian Railways endured
6902-644: The first time with the first train flagged off from Coimbatore in June 2022. Indian Railways is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India . It is headed by a four-member Railway Board whose chairman reports to the Ministry of Railways and act on behalf of the ministry. The organisation is divided into separate verticals traction , engineering , traffic , rolling stock , signalling , materials , personnel , RPF , finance , health and safety . Indian Railways
7021-481: The first to introduce electric lighting as standard fixtures. The first railway budget was presented in 1924. On 3 February 1925, the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla , hauled by a SLM electric locomotive on DC traction. In 1925, the first Electric Multiple Units (EMU) were introduced in Bombay with 1500 V DC units imported were from Cammell Laird and Uerdingenwagonfabrik . Chennai suburban railway started operating in 1931 with
7140-500: The first trains to reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Shatabdi Express introduced in 1988, are capable of running at a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). In 2019, Vande Bharat Express was launched with self-propelled EMU train-sets capable of reaching maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) with operational speeds restricted to 130–160 km/h (81–99 mph). A non-airconditioned semi-high speed train-set hauled by two modified WAP-5 locomotives
7259-449: The fleet of other rolling stock is carried out at 212 carriage & wagon repair units and 45 periodic overhaul workshops across various zones of IR. As of 31 March 2023 , Indian railway network spanned 68,584 km (42,616 mi) in route length. With 29,719 km (18,467 mi) of the lines having two or more tracks, total running track length was 106,493 km (66,172 mi), while total trackage (including sidings)
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#17328871180807378-437: The freight pricing/product mix. End-to-end integrated transport solutions such as roll-on, roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail system pioneered by Konkan Railway in 1999 to carry trucks on flatbed trailers is extended to other routes. As per the Ministry of Railways, there have been more than 38,500 railway accidents from 1961 to 2019. In 2019-20, the Indian Railways reported zero passenger deaths due to accidents for
7497-623: The general or unreserved coaches. Suburban networks also issue unreserved tickets valid for a limited time or season passes with unlimited travel between two stops for a period of time. India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and lower class passenger fares are subsidised. Discounted fares are applicable for railway employees, senior citizens (over age 60), the differently-abled, students, athletes, patients and those taking competitive examinations. Seats of lower class of accommodation are reserved for women or senior citizens in some trains. The first rail operational in Madras in 1837
7616-402: The hub. It is one of the two metro stations where Corridor I ( Blue Line ) ( Airport – Tiruvottiyur ) of the project will intersect with Corridor II ( Green Line ) (Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro– St. Thomas Mount via Egmore, Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J. Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro). The metro station, is at a depth of 25 metres (82 ft), is the largest of all metro stations in
7735-413: The interiors and exteriors of trains and undertaking routine mechanical and electrical maintenance of trains. Contracts for cleaning the station has been awarded for a period of three years from 2010 for a value of ₹ 43.1 million. In 2007, the number of dustbins in the station was 28.50 per 10,000 passengers. On average, about 51 train units depart and arrive at the station from different parts of
7854-1362: The letter(s) identifying the berth/seat type and numbers identifying the position. In standard coaches, the berths and seats are classified as follows: Saloon coaches are also available for chartering which are equipped with a bedroom and kitchen and can be attached to normal trains. Indian Railways operates various classes of passenger and express trains. The trains are classified basis average speed and facilities with express trains having fewer halts, priority on rail network and faster average speed. The trains are identified by five digit numbers with train-pairs traveling in opposite directions usually labelled with consecutive numbers. Express trains often have specific unique names for easy identification. In 2018–19, Indian Railways operated 13,523 passenger trains on average daily and carried 8.44 billion passengers. India Railways operates various categories of express trains including Rajdhani Express , Shatabdi Express , Garib Rath Express , Double Decker Express , Tejas Express , Gatimaan Express , Humsafar Express , Duronto Express , Yuva Express , Uday Express , Jan Shatabdi Express , Sampark Kranti Express , Vivek Express , Rajya Rani Express , Mahamana Express , Antyodaya Express , Jan Sadharan Express , Suvidha Express and Intercity Express . Rajdhani Express introduced in 1969 were
7973-467: The main building, the station had 12 platforms. 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. In 2005, the buildings were painted a light brown colour, but concurring with
8092-546: The main entrance, close to the concourse. There are prepaid auto and taxi stands at the station premises. However, only 30 autorickshaws are presently attached to the prepaid counter parking, as Chennai Metro Rail has acquired its parking area for station construction. 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
8211-441: The main station alone (excluding the suburban station) has an average passenger footfall of 95,560 per day. Passenger earnings in the same period amounted to ₹ 8947.4 million. The station managed 491 trains a day. It has been projected that the number of passengers using the main station per day in the next 40 years will be 650,000. The terminus also faces traffic problems. Often, express trains and EMU services that arrive at
8330-400: The mast is made of galvanised iron pipes. The mast is one of the tallest in the city. The polyester-and-cotton flag is 60-ft wide and weighs around 9.5 kg, and can be hoisted both manually and electronically. Chennai Central is a hub for suburban trains. Suburban lines originating from Chennai Central include West North Line , North Line , and West Line . Chennai Park suburban station
8449-403: The minimum essential amenities required by each station. Indian Railways offers various travel classes on its coaches . For the purpose of identification in passenger trains , coaches in a train-set are assigned an alpha-numeric code. The first letter identifies the coach class and the second letter identifies the coach number. The berths and seats are numbered by an alphanumeric code with
8568-504: The most important terminus of the region, the station lacks several facilities such as coach position display boards. The main concourses too have long exhausted their capacity to handle the increasing passenger crowd. There are passenger operated enquiry terminals and seven touch-screen PNR status machines in the station. The station has three split-flap timing boards, electronic display boards and plasma TVs that mention train timings and platform number. A passenger information center in
8687-466: The needs of the elderly and the physically impaired. On 26 September 2014, Chennai Central became the first in the country to get free Wi-Fi connectivity. The facility is being provided by RailTel, a public sector telecom infrastructure provider. 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
8806-405: The passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket. In case of no confirmed reservation, a wait-list number is assigned and wait-listed tickets get confirmed if there are cancellations of already reserved tickets. Reservation against cancellation tickets is an intermediate category between the waiting and confirmed lists in sleeper classes which allows
8925-783: The passenger segment with income from the freight business and prioritized passenger trains on the network. Hence, freight services were unable to complete other modes of transport on both cost and speed of delivery, leading to continuous erosion of market share till the early 2000s. To counter this, Indian Railways established the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India in 2006 to construct dedicated freight corridors to reduce congestion, increase speed and reliability and proposed upgradation of existing goods sheds, attracting private capital to build multi-commodity multi-modal logistics terminals, changing container sizes, operating time-tabled freight trains and tweaking with
9044-520: The proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras was made. In 1835, a railway track was constructed between Red Hills and Chintadripet in Madras and became operational in 1837. It was hauled by a rotary steam engine imported from England and was used for ferrying granite . The Madras Railway was established in 1845 and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway
9163-658: 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 in 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. In 2009, following the train accident at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station , surveillance cameras were installed at
9282-515: The route covered by GSM-R based Mobile Train Radio communication. In December 2017, Indian Railways announced that it will implement ETCS Level 2 system for signalling and control on key routes with an investment of ₹ 120 billion (US$ 1.4 billion). As of March 2023, Indian Railways manages and operates 7,308 stations. Prior to 2017, the stations were classified into seven categories based on their earnings. Since 2017, Indian Railways categorizes
9401-436: The route uses automatic block signalling for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions. Remaining routes are based on absolute block signalling with trains manually controlled by signal men from the signal boxes typically located at stations. Few low density routes still use manual block signalling methods with communication on track clearance based on physical exchange of tokens. In
9520-472: The shed, an additional electric trip shed has been created at Tondiarpet , which also serves as a crew change point for freights. The terminus has a goods shed attached to it at Salt Cotaurs . Chennai Central 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
9639-492: The slopes of Periamet , then known as Narimedu or Hog's Hill , as a second terminus to decongest the Royapuram harbour station , which was being used 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 Portuguese merchant in the port town of Negapatam (present-day Nagapattinam ) who settled in Madras in 1660. The garden had
9758-539: The standard blue livery (denoting air-braked bogies). Notable exceptions include the Rajadhani, Shatabdi and the Jan Shatabdi expresses. The Sapthagiri Express , Tirupati Express has a vivid green/cream livery combination with a matching WAM4 6PE locomotive from Arakkonam (AJJ) electric locomotive shed. Chennai Central, unlike many other major railway stations in India, is a terminus. The next station to Chennai Central,
9877-454: The station building is situated. A footbridge connects the platform with the neighbourhood. This article about a railway station in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chennai Central Chennai Central (officially Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station , formerly Madras Central ) (station code: MAS ),
9996-489: The station has been upgraded with "Spot your Train" live train display facility, information kiosks and passenger digital assistance booths. The terminus, however, has only 10 toilets, which is inadequate to its 350,000 passengers. In September 2018, a 5,000-litre drinking water vending reverse osmosis plant was commissioned in the station. As of 2008, there were 607 licensed railway porters in Chennai Central. Four-seater battery operated vehicles are available to cater to
10115-528: 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 the Moore Market complex. There is a platform 2A between platforms 2 and 3; it is used to handle short-length trains like the Chennai Rajadhani Express , Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express , Bengaluru Shatabdi Express , Mysuru Shatabdi Express and
10234-518: 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, 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
10353-559: The station staff, the Shatabdi Express now starts from here. 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 Mail killing 57 passengers, Southern Railway started replacing all bridges resting on screw piles, and
10472-651: The station were electrified on 29 November 1979, with the electrification of the Chennai Central–Tiruvallur section. Additional lines at the station were electrified on 2 October 1986, with the electrification of the Villivakkam–Avadi section. The station is the newest one in the Chennai Central-Arakkonam section. There are four tracks—two serving exclusively for the suburban trains. The suburban tracks are served by an island platform , on which
10591-403: The station witnessed two low-intensity blasts in two coaches S4 and S5 of the stationary Guwahati–Bengaluru Cantt. Superfast Express , killing one female passenger and injuring at least fourteen. In April 2020, all trains were cancelled till 30 September, except Chennai Central - New Delhi Rajdhani Express due to COVID-19 . In a first of its kind for the railways, a bomb disposal squad of
10710-418: The station's suburban terminus . About 400,000 passengers use the terminus every day, in addition to 20,000 visitors accompanying them to see-off or receive them, generating a revenue of ₹ 6,590,214,293 (US$ 79 million) 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. As of 2015–16,
10829-442: The stations by commercial importance into three different categories namely Non Suburban Group (NSG), Suburban Group (SG) and Halt Group (HG). These are further subdivided into subcategories based on their commercial importance (NSG 1–6, SG 1-3 and from HG 1–3). The commercial importance of a station is determined by taking into account its passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance and these categories are used to determine
10948-400: The stations. Indian railways removed all unstaffed level crossings by 2019 with staffed level crossings being replaced by bridges. Other safety projects include the extension of an automated fire alarm system to all air-conditioned coaches and GPS-enabled Fog Pilot Assistance System railway signalling devices. In 2020, Indian Railways allowed the operation of private passenger trains for
11067-418: The suburban terminus and railway reservation counter. The land in front of the building was made into a car park. 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
11186-423: 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. A government railway police (GRP) station is located on the first floor at the western end, headed by a DSP and two inspectors. Indian Railways Indian Railways
11305-413: The terminus. Further to this, the Southern Railway invited expression of interest from several hospitals in the city to establish a medical care centre. 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,
11424-494: 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. The station has been divided into two zones for mechanised cleaning contracts. As of 2008, Chennai Central had about 30 sanitary workers employed on
11543-424: The tracks along Platforms 1 to 7 were electrified on 29 December 1979. 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
11662-470: 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 colour. The station is the first in India to be placed on the cyber map. 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
11781-537: Was 132,310 km (82,210 mi). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 80 to 200 km/h (50 to 124 mph), though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 160 km/h (99 mph). The network was built with a variety of gauges , including 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge , 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge metre gauge and 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) and 610 mm ( 2 ft ) narrow gauge ; but
11900-556: Was deployed in September 1996. The ticketing network at stations is computerized with the exception of few stations. The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC. Indian Railways now provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets through website , smartphone apps , SMS , rail reservation counters at train stations, or through private ticket booking counters. Reserved tickets may be booked up to 60 days in advance and confirmed reservation tickets will show
12019-471: Was extended further south in the same year, and Royapuram was no longer a terminus for Madras. 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. 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
12138-569: Was extended to Kalyan in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran 39 km (24 mi) from Howrah , near Kolkata , to Hoogly on 15 August 1854. The construction on the first main line in the South between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856. On 24 February 1873, a horse-drawn 3.8 km (2.4 mi) tram opened in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat street. On 9 May 1874,
12257-477: Was fabricated by North British Locomotive Company in 1954. The first locomotive manufacturing unit at Chittaranjan was commissioned in 1950. The first rail coaches were manufactured in India from 1956 when the Integral Coach Factory was established at Madras. In 1956, the first air-conditioned train plied between Howrah and New Delhi . In 1957, Indian Railways adopted 25 kV AC traction with
12376-1160: Was gradually expanded to 18 zones over the years. The first steam operated railway operated in 1837 in Madras with the first passenger operating in 1853 between Bombay and Thane . In 1925, the first electric train ran in Bombay on DC traction. The first locomotive manufacturing unit was commissioned in 1950 at Chittaranjan with the first coach manufacturing unit set-up at Madras in 1955. Indian Railways runs various classes of express , passengers and suburban trains. In 2018–19, it operated 13,523 trains on average daily covering 7,325 stations and carried 8.44 billion passengers. Indian Railways also operates different classes of rail freight transport . In 2022–23, it operated 8,479 trains on average daily and transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight . Indian Railways operates multiple classes of rolling stock , manufactured by self-owned coach-production facilities. As of March 2023 , Indian Railways' rolling stock consisted of 318,196 freight wagons and 84,863 passenger coaches . As of December 2023 , Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives amongst others. In 1832
12495-575: Was incorporated in 1849. Temporary railway lines were built such as the railway line at Dowleswaram built at by Arthur Cotton to supply stone for the construction of a dam over the Godavari River in 1845 and the Solani aqueduct railway, built by Proby Cautley in Roorkee to transport construction materials for an aqueduct over the Solani river in 1851. In 1852, a steam locomotive imported from England
12614-512: Was incorporated in 1999 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC. In 2015, the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trains were rolled out. Since 1925, the Railway budget was presented before the Union budget till 2016. The central government approved the merger of the Rail and General budgets from 2017. On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways announced a target of electrifying
12733-461: Was introduced on the suburban of Bombay by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between Colaba and Borivili and between Madras beach and Tambaram by the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway in 1931. In 1957, Indian Railways decided to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard. The first 25 kV AC EMUs operated in Calcutta in 1962 and Madras in 1968. In 2017, Indian Railways announced a plan to electrify
12852-468: Was later dropped. The company operated a suburban electric train service for Madras city from May 1931 onwards in the Madras Beach – Tambaram section. In 1959, additional changes were made to the station. 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
12971-491: Was launched as Amrit Bharat Express . A high-speed rail line is under-construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad which will become the first true high-speed rail line when completed in 2026. Mountain Railways of India refer to three rail lines operated by Indian Railways in hilly terrain . Darjeeling Himalayan Railway , a 610 mm ( 2 ft ) narrow-gauge railway in the Lesser Himalayas of West Bengal
13090-539: Was opened in 1881. The mountain railways were designated as World Heritage Sites in 1999. The Kalka-Shimla Railway , a 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge railway in the Siwalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh started operating in 1903. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway , a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge rack railway in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu
13209-458: Was opened in 1908 and is the only operational rack railway in India. These railways operate with its own dedicated fleet of locomotives and coaches. The first suburban electric trains were introduced in Bombay in 1925. Chennai suburban lines started operating in 1931 and Kolkata in 1957. Later, AC traction was adopted for suburban lines and are currently operated by Multiple Units (MUs) of various configurations. In 1984, Kolkata Metro ,
13328-601: Was previously met by Bharat wagon and engineering with the procurement and manufacturing now done by both in public and private sector. Apart from standard passenger classes, the Indian Railways has other specialized coach types used for dedicated functions. These include accident relief medical vans, brake vans, generator cars, inspection carriages, military cars, pantry car and parcel vans. These may be dedicated self-propelled units or attached to train-sets. Indian Railways operates various manufacturing units. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), commissioned in 1950,
13447-466: Was removed from the 2-m-deep canal. On 14 August 2006, a major fire broke out in Chennai Central, completely destroying a bookshop. 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. Four passengers were killed and 11 were injured. The train, which
13566-477: Was renamed from Madras Central to Chennai Central , and then to honour the AIADMK founder and the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran , it was renamed as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station on 5 April 2019. About 550,000 passengers use the terminus every day, making it the busiest railway station in South India. Along with Chennai Egmore and Coimbatore Junction ,
13685-479: Was rolled out from ICF. Locomotives are manufactured by five owned manufacturing units of the Indian Railways and BHEL . As of 2021 , 37% of the trains are operated by diesel locomotives and rest mostly by electric locomotives. As of December 2023 , Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives amongst others. The early rail coaches were based on a prototype by a Swiss company and were termed as ICF coaches after Integral coach factory (ICF),
13804-487: Was scheduled to depart at 5:15 am, started at 4:50 am instead. The train was moving with a speed of 92 km per hour with 35 passengers on board at the time of collision. 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. On 1 May 2014,
13923-846: Was the first locomotive manufacturing unit in India. The first rail coache manufacturing unit, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) was established at Madras in 1956. Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), commissioned in 1961, is the second locomotive manufacturing unit operated by Indian Railways. BHEL, Patiala Locomotive Works , Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah and Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura also manufacture locomotives in India. Railway coaches are also manufactured at coach factories at Karputhala , Raebareli , Sonipat and Latur . Indian Railways also operates three rail wheel manufacturing factories at Bangalore , Chhpra and Raebareli. The locomotives are operated and maintained by 44 locomotive sheds. The repair and maintenance of
14042-559: Was tried at Byculla . In 1853, the first passenger train on 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge ran for 34 kilometres (21 mi) between Bombay and Thane which had 14-carriages carrying 400 people, hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. The Thane viaducts, the first railway bridges , were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line
14161-555: Was used for ferrying granite. The first dedicated commercial freight rail was operated between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966. Indian Railways ferries various commodities and cargo to cater to various industrial, consumer, and agricultural segments. Apart from dedicated freight trains, parcels , mail and small cargo are carried on specialized carriages attached to passenger trains. In 2022–23, Indian Railways operated 8,479 trains on average daily and transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight. Indian Railways has historically subsidized
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