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{{Short description|Railway station in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Chennai Egmore
| native_name = <hr/>Chennai Elumbur
| other_name = Madras Egmore / Madras Elumbur
| style = Indian Railways
| type = [[File:Indian_Railways_Suburban_Railway_Logo.svg|30px]] [[Indian Railways]] and [[Chennai Suburban Railway]] station
| image = Chennai Egmore facade panorama.jpg
| image_caption = Chennai Egmore
| address = Gandhi-Irwin Road, Egmore, [[Chennai]]
| coordinates = {{coord|13.0780|N|80.2616|E|display=inline,title}}
| owned = [[Ministry of Railways (India)|Ministry of Railways]], [[Indian Railways]]
| line = {{Plainlist|* 1.Chennai Egmore–Kacheguda line
*2. Chennai Egmore–Trichy chord line
*3.Chennai Egmore–Mumbai line (via Guntakal)
*4.Chennai Egmore–Guwahati line
*5.Chennai Egmore–Trichy main line(Via Kumbakonam,Thanjavur)
*6.Chennai Egmore–Mangalore line (Via Trichy fort, Erode jn, Palakkad Jn, Kozhikode)
*7.Chennai Egmore–Kollam Jn line ( Via Madurai, Sengottai ,Punalur)
*8.Chennai Egmore–Thiruvananthapuram line ( Via Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli
*9.Chennai Egmore-Tuticorin line ( Via Trichy, Tirunelveli ),
*10.Chennai Egmore - Tiruchendur line ( Via kumbakonam, Trichy, Tirunelveli ),
*11.Chennai Egmore - Rameshwaram line (Via Kumbakonam,Trichy,Karaikudi),
*12.Chennai Egmore - Sengottai line ( Via Tiruvarur, Pattukottai, Tenkasi),
*13.Chennai Egmore - Rameswaram line (Via Trichy, Pudukkottai, Manamadurai)
*14.Chennai Egmore - Mannargudi line ( Via Villupuram, Needamangalam)
*15.Chennai Egmore - Karaikal line( Via Villupuram, Chidambaram, Nagapattinam)
}}
| platform = 11
| tracks = 12
| other = {{Plainlist|* Taxi stand
* Metro rail station
* Auto rickshaw stand
* Bus stop
}}
| structure = Standard on-ground station
| depth =
| levels =
| parking = Available
| bicycle = 
| ADA = {{Access icon|20px}}
| code = {{Indian railway code
| code = MS
| zone = [[Southern Railway zone]]
| division = {{rwd|Chennai}}
}}
| opened = {{start date and age|1905}}
| closed =
| rebuilt =
| electrified = Yes
| former = South Indian Railway
| mpassengers =
| passengers = 3,00,000 per day
| pass_system =
| pass_year =
| pass_percent =
| services = 65 Express trains/day<br />600 suburban trains/day<br />95 DEMU services/day
| map_type = India Chennai#Tamil Nadu#India
| map_caption = Location in Chennai##Location in Tamil Nadu##Location in India
| image_size =
}}

'''Chennai Egmore''', formerly known as '''Madras Egmore''', also known as '''Chennai Elumbur''' (station code: '''MS'''), is a railway station in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India. Situated in the neighborhood of [[Egmore]], it is one of the four intercity railway terminals in the city; the other three are [[Chennai Central railway station]], [[Tambaram railway station]] and [[Chennai Beach railway station]]. The station was built in 1906–1908 as the terminus of the [[South Indian Railway Company]]. The building built in [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style is one of the prominent [[landmark]]s of Chennai. The main entrance to the station is situated on Gandhi-Irwin Road and the rear entrance on [[EVR Periyar Salai|Poonamallee High Road]].

The station was apparently constructed from 8679 on land purchased from Pulney Andy.<ref>{{cite news |first=S. |last=Muthiah |date=27 October 2012 |orig-year=19 September 2010 |title=Whither this National Library? |url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article696892.ece |department=Madras Miscellany (column) |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=21 June 2019}}</ref> The building is built in the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style of architecture with imposing domes and corridors. It has the 5th longest platform in the country and the 6th longest in the world. The station is one of the prominent landmarks of the city of Chennai. The recently opened{{when|date=June 2019}} northern entrance to this railway station is on the arterial Poonamallee High Road in Chennai city.

==History==
{{multiple image
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| header =
| width = 200
| image1 = Egmore Station.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Egmore Station c. 1908
| image2 = 02Madras Egmore Station.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = Egmore Station in 1913
}}

History says that the station was actually a fort, called the Egmore Redoubt, similar to [[Leith]] Castle, which is a part of [[Santhome]]. It is said that the station came up in a place that once used to store ammunition for the British.<ref name="Egmore-Fort">{{cite news| last = Pain| first = Paromita| title = Heritage tracks| newspaper = Business Line| location = Chennai| date = 27 June 2008| url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/life/2008/06/27/stories/2008062750030200.htm| access-date = 8 November 2012}}</ref>

The station building was constructed on a {{convert|2.5|acre}} land, for which {{convert|1.8|acre}} was acquired from S. Pulney Andy, an English physician, who, in his letter to the 'Collector of Madras,' initially refused to sell his property owing to the difficulty with which he had purchased and developed the property. However, the South Indian Railway (SIR) Company, which was then operating train services to the south, persuaded him to sell the land, for which Andy claimed {{INRConvert|1|l}} as compensation. After acquiring the land, the SIR invited Henry Irwin, CIE (chief engineer), who did much of latter day [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture|Indo-Saracenic]] in Madras, and E. C. Bird, company architect, to design a building to suit the traffic need. After several alterations in the plan, the construction work began in September 1905 and was completed in 1908.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR">{{cite news | title =Red-letter day for Southern Railway | location = Chennai | date = 11 June 2008 | url = http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/11/stories/2008061160021800.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080613114239/http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/11/stories/2008061160021800.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 June 2008 | newspaper =[[The Hindu]] | access-date = 17 June 2012}}</ref> It was constructed by contractor T. Samynada Pillai of [[thirunageswaram]] near kumbakonnam at a cost of {{INRConvert|17|l}}. The station was officially opened on 11 June 1908.<ref name="EgmoreAndTheSouth">{{cite news | last = Muthiah | first = S. | title = Egmore and the South | location = Chennai | date = 16 June 2008 | url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/16/stories/2008061650520500.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080620165303/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/16/stories/2008061650520500.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 20 June 2008 | newspaper = [[The Hindu]] | access-date = 29 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Muthiah | first = S. | title = The railway of the Deep South | newspaper = The Hindu | location = Chennai | date = 9 May 2010 | url = http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article425584.ece | access-date = 28 December 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101117021454/http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article425584.ece | archive-date = 17 November 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

There was initially a demand that the station be named after [[Robert Clive]], which was, however, strongly opposed by the public as they wanted to name it Egmore. When the station was opened there was no electricity connection and a generator was used.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/> The station became the major [[Metre-gauge railway|metre-gauge]] terminal for Chennai after the formation of [[Southern Railway zone|Southern Railway]] in 1951 and served as the gateway to the southern [[Tamil Nadu]], chiefly due to its acting as a connecting point for passengers from the south to the [[Chennai Central]] for boarding north-, west- and east-bound trains. Irwin and Bird worked on the design of the building, which was sympathetically added to in the 1930s and 1980s.<ref name="EgmoreAndTheSouth"/> In the 1990s it was converted into a major broad gauge terminal, a role in which it became operational in 1998.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/07/stories/2008060757850200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610214331/http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/07/stories/2008060757850200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 June 2008|title=One hundred years of tireless travel ... still chugging with charm|date=7 June 2008|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>

Earlier, cars used to come inside the platform itself, which was found only in this station.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Krishnaswamy
| first = Murali N.
| title = Chugging on . . . a hundred years hence
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 17 June 2008
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-youngworld/chugging-on-a-hundred-years-hence/article1443993.ece
| access-date = 28 September 2019}}</ref> In its report, the SIR commented on the construction of a new building for Egmore:<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/>
{{cquote|For some time it had been felt that the traffic to be handled in 'Madras' had outgrown the accommodation provided for it at the Egmore station and that something better was required. The old-fashioned, cramped station had done duty for many years as terminus for the South Indian Railway. Hence the move to construct a new station building for Madras.}}

SIR also claimed during the inauguration of the new building that it had given Madras a building to be proud of, "whose covered platform area is greater than that of [[Charing Cross railway station|Charing Cross Station]] in London."<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/>

The signal cabin at the station was opened in 1935, when the suburban line between [[Chennai Beach railway station|Madras Beach]] and {{stnlnk|Tambaram}} was electrified. The signalling of the station is controlled by a [[Siemens]] all-electric power frame of 1935.<ref name="SignalBox_MadrasEgmore">{{cite web
| last = Hinson
| first = John
| title = Madras Egmore: South Indian Railway
| work = The Signal Box
| url = http://www.signalbox.org/overseas/india/madrasegmore.htm
| access-date = 9 September 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020418214138/http://www.signalbox.org/overseas/india/madrasegmore.htm
| archive-date = 18 April 2002
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

A new suburban station building was opened in November 2004 when the Tambaram–Beach broad-gauge section became fully operational. With increasing passenger traffic, the entrance on the Gandhi-Irwin Road eventually became insufficient.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/> In 2004, construction of a second entry to the station on the Poonamallee High Road side began at a cost of {{INRConvert|11.53|c}}.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Vydhianathan
| first = S.
| title = Second terminal at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M. G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station proposed
| location = Chennai
| date = 26 October 2004
| url = http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/26/stories/2004102610770100.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041201070212/http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/26/stories/2004102610770100.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 1 December 2004
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 9 November 2012}}</ref> In June 2006, the second entrance was opened.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/>

==Layout==
Chennai Egmore station lies between two flyovers separated by a distance of about {{cvt|925|m}}, measuring {{cvt|300 x 70|ft}} on {{cvt|2.5|acre}} of land<ref name="EgmoreAndTheSouth"/> The station is about {{cvt|750|m}} long and has 11 platforms. Platforms 1, 2 and 3 are on the eastern side. They are relatively short in length. They are used for short trains. Platform 4 is the main platform leading to the portico. Platforms 4, 5, 6 and 7 lie under the dome. These are used for long-distance trains. Platforms 10 and 11 are newly constructed ones that are handling broad-gauge electric multiple units (EMUs or suburban electric trains). Some platforms have escalators. The platform is the 5th longest in the country and the 6th longest in the world.

{{wide image|Egmore Railway Station, Chennai, India - Panoramic view.jpg|520px|Top view Egmore Station }}

Chennai Egmore station is not a junction. This can be understood also from its name. It has one line towards [[Chennai Beach railway station]] (via Park Town and Fort), while the other is towards [[Tambaram railway station]] (via [[Mambalam]]).

==Traffic==
[[File:Chennai-Egmore-Railway-Station-1.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Nightview of the main entrance]]
As of 2013, the station handles about 35 main line trains and 118 suburban trains, and about 150,000 people daily.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Venugopal | first = Vasudha | title = Display boards at station fail to show the way | newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai | date = 5 February 2013 | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/display-boards-at-station-fail-to-show-the-way/article4379567.ece | access-date = 11 February 2013}}</ref> Its average daily earning is {{INRConvert|17.06|l}}.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/>

The total revenue generated by the station during 2012–2013 was {{INRConvert|287.3|c}}, making it the second highest revenue-generating station of the Southern Railway, behind [[Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central railway station]].

==Maintenance==
[[File:Chennai-Egmore-Railway-Station-6.jpg|thumb|The illuminated station at night]]
The station has been divided into two zones for mechanised cleaning contracts—platforms 1 to 6 fall under zone I and platforms 7 to 11 fall under zone II. In December 2012, Southern Railway awarded contract to a new agency with a 43-member team taking charge of upkeep of zone II.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Varma
| first = M. Dinesh
| title = New agency undertakes cleaning of Egmore station
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 7 December 2012
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/new-agency-undertakes-cleaning-of-egmore-station/article4171806.ece
| access-date = 13 December 2012}}</ref> Contracts for cleaning Chennai Egmore station has been awarded for a period of 3 years from 2010 for a value of {{INRConvert|2.05|c}}.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Cleanliness drive in railway stations
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 8 July 2010
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/cleanliness-drive-in-railway-stations/article504748.ece
| access-date = 7 November 2012}}</ref>

===Train care centre===
The station has a train care centre named Egmore Railway Yard(GSN Yard – Gopal Samy Nagar), where the trains arriving at the station are prepared for departure. However, the centre is soiled and grimy due to lack of maintenance.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Ayyappan
| first = V.
| title = Passengers panic as pests overrun dirty train bogies
| location = Chennai

| date = 29 October 2012
| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-29/chennai/34797147_1_sleeper-coaches-bogies-pests-and-rodents
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130103150228/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-29/chennai/34797147_1_sleeper-coaches-bogies-pests-and-rodents
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 3 January 2013
| newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
| access-date = 10 November 2012}}</ref>

==Amenities==
There are 14-bedded air-conditioned dormitories and 16 retiring rooms on the first floor of the station. Three new waiting halls were added to the prepaid AC hall and second call hall.<ref name="IE_BetterServices"/> In 2019–2020, platforms 5, 7, 8, and 9 were extended to accommodate locomotives.<ref name="IE_BetterServices"/>

==Connectivity==
The station has two entrance, viz. the main southern entrance on the Gandhi–Irwin Road and the secondary northern entrance on the Poonamallee High Road. Both the entrances has MTC bus routes passing through them and have pre-paid taxi and autorickshaw counters.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Ayyappan
| first = V.
| title = One more prepaid autorickshaw counter opened at Egmore Railway Station
| newspaper = The Times of India
| location = Chennai

| date = 1 August 2014
| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/One-more-prepaid-autorickshaw-counter-opened-at-Egmore-railway-station/articleshow/39417907.cms
| access-date = 24 October 2020}}</ref> While the southern entrance has a bus shelter, the northern entrance has a two-storey parking lot and a bus terminus.<ref name="IE_BetterServices">{{cite news
| last = Express News Services
| title = Egmore railway station to have better services for commuters
| newspaper = The New Indian Express
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 26 November 2019
| url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/nov/26/egmore-to-have-better-services-for-commuters-2067180.html
| access-date = 24 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| last = Madhavan
| first = D.
| title = Whenners Road hit by 'pothole plague'
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 5 October 2019
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/whenners-road-hit-by-pothole-plague/article29603406.ece
| access-date = 24 October 2020}}</ref>
The station is also connected to the [[Chennai Metro]] Rail Line 2, serving as an underground station.<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://www.chennaimetrorail.gov.in/linemap.php|title =Chennai Metro Rail Line Map|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140713212247/http://chennaimetrorail.gov.in/linemap.php|archive-date =13 July 2014}}</ref>

==Security==
[[File:Egmore station backside.JPG|thumb|200x200px|Backside view of the station]]
In April 2012, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the [[Railway Protection Force]] (RPF) together launched a helpline known as ''Kaakum karangal'' (literally meaning 'Protecting hands') in the terminus. This involved dividing the terminus into three sectors and deploying 18 police personnel for security.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Railway police launches two helplines
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| location = [[Chennai]]
| date = 1 May 2012
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3371573.ece
| access-date = 25 November 2012}}</ref>

The main station has [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] cameras installed. The suburban platforms are covered by the {{INRConvert|40|c}} Integrated Security Surveillance System (ISSS) project implemented in 2012. The project, implemented jointly by the Southern Railways and [[HCL Technologies|HCL Infosystems]], includes installation of CCTV cameras that would record visuals around the clock and store the data for 30 days, with the footage transmitted and stored using an Internet Protocol system.<ref name="IBNLive_CCTVSurveillance">{{cite news
| title = Chennai: Suburban railway stations to come under CCTV surveillance
| newspaper = [[IBN Live]]
| location = [[Chennai]]
| date = 18 July 2012
| url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chennai-suburban-railway-stations-to-come-under-cctv-surveillance/272054-62-130.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131111231320/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chennai-suburban-railway-stations-to-come-under-cctv-surveillance/272054-62-130.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 11 November 2013
| access-date = 14 January 2014}}</ref>

==Future==
[[File:Chennai Egmore station, Second Entrance2.jpg|thumb|Second entrance to the station]]
The station serves not only to the south but also to the north ([[Hyderabad Deccan railway station|Hyderabad]]) and east ({{stnlnk|Howrah}}). Additionally, the Chennai–Mumbai [[Dadar Chennai Egmore Express|Dadar Central Express]] (west) originates from the Egmore station.<ref name="RedLetterDayForSR"/><ref name="latest timetable at ms and mas">{{cite web|title=Train Timings (from 1.7.12) at Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Perambur, Tambaram|url=http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1341216868714-ms-mas.pdf|work=Southern Railway Website PDF Upload|publisher=Southern Railway|access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref>

As the growth potential at Chennai Egmore station is limited due to space constraint, the railway is planning to originate or terminate some of the additional trains to be introduced in future at [[Tambaram railway station]]. However, the station will remain a hub of train services and there is no proposal to shift all the services to Tambaram.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Egmore to remain railway hub
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 22 December 2011
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2736904.ece
| access-date = 31 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| last = Malavan
| first = K.
| title = Tambaram 3rd Rail Terminus update
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 20 January 2012
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2816286.ece
| access-date = 20 January 2012}}</ref>

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 laid along the entire length of track of platform 2 at the terminus.<ref name="TOI_StationsToGetWashableTracks">{{cite news
| last = Ayyappan
| first = V.
| title = Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M. G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, Chennai Egmore Railway Station to get washable tracks
| newspaper = The Times of India
| location = Chennai

| date = 14 February 2013
| url = http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2013/02/14&PageLabel=5&EntityId=Ar00504&ViewMode=HTML
| access-date = 17 February 2013}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Though several changes were made to the station, the letters "SIR" emblazoned on its bas relief crest still remains, though the middle letter 'I' was painted out a few years ago to read "SR" (meaning Southern Railway).<ref name="EgmoreAndTheSouth"/>

==See also==
* [[Chennai Central railway station]]
* [[Chennai Suburban Railway]]
* [[Railway stations in Chennai]]
* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, South West|Chennai Egmore|Park Town, Chennai|Chetput|4|4.32}}
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, South|Chennai Egmore|Park Town, Chennai|Chetput|4|4.32}}
{{Chennai topics|left}}
{{Transport in Chennai}}

[[Category:Railway stations in India opened in 1908]]
[[Category:Chennai railway division]]
[[Category:Heritage sites in Chennai]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Chennai]]
[[Category:Stations of Chennai Suburban Railway]]

Chennai Egmore railway station - Revision history

Ghaiinfra: revised

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