Royapuram Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Royapuram railway station (Tamil
: இராயபுரம் இரயில் நிலையம்) is a railway station in the Chennai Beach
–Arakkonam
section of the Chennai Suburban Railway
network in Chennai
, India
. It is the first railway station of South India
, and the first train of South India started operating in June 1856 from Royapuram station. The station is 1,015 m long and 420 m wide and covers about 72 acres.
Owing to lack of maintenance, Royapuram railway station building was degraded to a dilapidated condition over the decades. In 2005, the building was refurbished at an estimated cost of 3.5 million. It is believed to be the oldest surviving railway station structures of the Indian Railways
.
commenced in 1853. The idea of a railway in South India long predated any other railway lines in the Indian Subcontinent
. In the early 1840s, about 15 years after Stephenson'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) in Bombay 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. 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
). With the opening of the main terminus, the Royapuram station, on 28 June 1856 by the then Governor Lord Harris, the railway line was opened for traffic on 1 July 1856. The first train, manufactured by Simpson and Company, started its journey with the Governor and 300 European people from Royapuram to Walajabad
and a stately dinner was arranged in Ambur
. The second train carried Indian invitees to a shorter distance till "Triveloor" (the present day Thiruvallur). However, it was not know 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:
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 till Madras 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 Station
becoming the terminus for southbound trains in 1907. 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.
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 million for locomotive
maintenance shed in 2007. However, this project is yet to be materialised.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: இராயபுரம் இரயில் நிலையம்) is a railway station in the Chennai Beach
Chennai Beach
Chennai Beach , formerly known as Madras Beach, is a railway terminus of the Southern Railway Network in Chennai , India. This station handles mainly suburban trains in Chennai suburban railway and a few passenger trains...
–Arakkonam
Arakkonam
Arakkonam is a mid-sized City in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with a population of about 101,626 as per the census 2011...
section of the Chennai Suburban Railway
Chennai suburban railway
Chennai suburban railway is a commuter rail system in the Indian city of Chennai operated by the Southern Railway. Chennai has a complex railway network. The system uses electrical multiple units operating on alternating current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system...
network in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the first railway station of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, and the first train of South India started operating in June 1856 from Royapuram station. The station is 1,015 m long and 420 m wide and covers about 72 acres.
Owing to lack of maintenance, Royapuram railway station building was degraded to a dilapidated condition over the decades. In 2005, the building was refurbished at an estimated cost of 3.5 million. It is believed to be the oldest surviving railway station structures of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
.
History
Royapuram railway station is the place from where the laying down of the second railway line of the South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
commenced in 1853. The idea of a railway in South India long predated any other railway lines in the Indian Subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. In the early 1840s, about 15 years after Stephenson's
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
undertook that historic Stockton
Stockton
-Places:Australia:*Stockton, New South WalesNew Zealand:*Stockton, New ZealandUnited Kingdom:*Stockton, Cheshire*Stockton, Norfolk*Stockton, Warwickshire*Stockton, Wiltshire*Stockton-on-Tees*Stockton-on-Teme*Stockton-on-the-ForestUnited States:...
-Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
journey with its passenger coach, laying of a railway line in South India was discussed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. 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
Bori Bunder
Bori Bunder was one of the areas along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India which was used as a storehouse for goods imported and exported from Mumbai. In the area's name, 'Bori' mean sack and 'Bandar' means Bhandaar or store; So Bori Bunder literally means a place where sacks are stored...
(later the Victoria Terminus) in Bombay to Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
, 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. Work on the southern line began in 1853 and the railway line was extended from Royapuram
Royapuram
Royapuram , a locality of Chennai, South India, is the place where the first railway station of south India was constructed, and from where the laying down of the second railway line of the South Asia commenced in the 1850s. This railway line extended from Royapuram to Arcot, then capital of the...
(Madras) to Arcot, then titular capital of the Nawab of the Carnatic
Carnatic region
The Carnatic coast is the region of South India lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel Coast, in the modern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, south eastern Karnataka and southern Andhra Pradesh....
(the present day Walajapet
Walajapet
Walajapet is a locality and part of Vellore district in the state of Tamil Nadu. The streets in the town forms square shape which is unique feature of the town. It will be easy for you to reach any part of the town with this kind of infra structure...
, near Ranipet
Ranipet
Ranipet, Vellore is a locality and part of Vellore city in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a medium-sized community located about 26 kilometers from the Vellore city center and 100 kilometers from Chennai, the fourth largest urban area in India...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
). With the opening of the main terminus, the Royapuram station, on 28 June 1856 by the then Governor Lord Harris, the railway line was opened for traffic on 1 July 1856. The first train, manufactured by Simpson and Company, started its journey with the Governor and 300 European people from Royapuram to Walajabad
Walajabad
Walajabad is a panchayat town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Walajabad had a population of 10,859. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Walajabad has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of...
and a stately dinner was arranged in Ambur
Ambur
Ambur Ambur is a developed Industrial Town of Vellore District in Tamil Nadu, India. Ambur is located at the 'Palaar' River Bank,on the Chennai - Bangalore Highway, both sides at a distance of approx 180 – 200 km....
. The second train carried Indian invitees to a shorter distance till "Triveloor" (the present day Thiruvallur). However, it was not know 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:
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 till Madras Central Station
Chennai Central
Chennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...
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
Chennai Port
Chennai Port , formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest port of India, behind the Mumbai Port, and the largest port in the Bay of Bengal. Being the third oldest port among the 12 major ports of India, it is over 125 years old, although maritime trade started way back in 1639 on the sea...
, the cargoes from the port were transported via Royapuram station. This resulted in Egmore Railway Station
Chennai Egmore
Chennai Egmore , formerly known as Madras Egmore, is a railway station in Egmore, Chennai , South India. The station acts as the arrival and departure point for trains connecting Chennai and southern, central Tamil Nadu and Kerala.This is one of the two main railway terminals in the city along with...
becoming the terminus for southbound trains in 1907. 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.
In 2006, the Southern Railway
Southern Railway
The following railways or railroads are or were called the Southern Railway or Southern Railroad:- Europe :*Austrian Southern Railway, a railway company operating in Austria-Hungary between 1841 and 1923*South 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 million for locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
maintenance shed in 2007. However, this project is yet to be materialised.
See also
- Chennai CentralChennai CentralChennai Central , erstwhile Madras Central, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai . It is the home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India. The other major railway hub stations in the city are Chennai Egmore and Tambaram...
- Chennai EgmoreChennai EgmoreChennai Egmore , formerly known as Madras Egmore, is a railway station in Egmore, Chennai , South India. The station acts as the arrival and departure point for trains connecting Chennai and southern, central Tamil Nadu and Kerala.This is one of the two main railway terminals in the city along with...
- Chennai BeachChennai BeachChennai Beach , formerly known as Madras Beach, is a railway terminus of the Southern Railway Network in Chennai , India. This station handles mainly suburban trains in Chennai suburban railway and a few passenger trains...
- Tambaram Railway StationTambaram Railway StationTambaram Railway Station is one of the railway terminus in the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It is situated at a distance of 6 km from the centre of Tambaram, a suburb of Chennai located 27 km south of the city centre...