Perambur railway station

Perambur railway station is in Perambur, Chennai, one of the important stations in Chennai, in the Chennai Beach/Chennai Central–Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network. This passenger station serves the city railway colony with its Southern Railway Headquarters Hospital and works, which have their own stations, Perambur Carriage Works railway station and Perambur Loco Works railway station.

Perambur
Station of Chennai Suburban Railway and Southern Railways.
Perambur railway station, with a view of the Perambur flyover
Coordinates	13.107701°N 80.244806°E
Owned by	Ministry of Railways, Indian Railways
Line(s)	West, West North and West South lines of Chennai Suburban Railway Mumbai–Chennai line
Platforms	4
Tracks	4
Construction
Structure type	Standard on-ground station
Parking	Available
Other information
Station code	PER
Fare zone	Southern Railways
History
Electrified	29 November 1979[1]
Previous names	Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway
Passengers
2013	40,000/day[2]
Services
Preceding station Indian Railways Following station Arakkonam Junction towards Bangalore City Chennai Central–Bangalore City line Chennai Central Terminus
Location
Perambur Location within India Perambur Perambur (Tamil Nadu)

History

Platform 1 at the station

Perambur railway station is the second oldest railway station in the city after Royapuram railway station. The station was built in the 1860s to cater to employees at Southern Railway's locomotive, carriage, wagon, and coach-building workshops.[2] The lines at the station were electrified on 29 November 1979, with the electrification of the Chennai Central–Tiruvallur section.[1]

The station

Perambur railway station name board

Entrance name board at Perambur railway station, Perambur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

The station is the fifth largest station in Chennai, after Chennai Central, Egmore, Tambaram, and Mambalam in terms of commuter traffic. As of 2013, the station is being used by about 40,000 commuters every day.[2][3] About 140 suburban services and 29 long-distance trains halt at the station. Presently, the station has only one entrance to the northern side.[2]

Services

All of the suburban trains except train no. 66021 [lower-alpha 1] (Chennai Central–Tirupati fast local) passing through this station halt here, and many of the long-distance trains, have a stoppage at this station.[4][5]

Workshop

Southern Railway's workshop is located here. This workshop was established in the year 1856 to serve the erstwhile Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company. It was a combined Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon POH & Coach building workshop and later bifurcated in 1932 to deal with Carriage & Wagon POH activity only, shifting the Locomotive overhaul activity to the new Loco workshop which was built adjacent to the original workshop. These two workshops are served by Perambur Carriage Works and Perambur Loco Works stations respectively. In 1951 the Southern Railway was formed by integrating the erstwhile South Indian Railway company, Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway Company, and Mysore State Railway with all their workshops and assets.

ICF

A view of the station towards west

A view of the station towards east

When the ICF shell division was started, furnishing works were done at this works for the new shells turned out by ICF. This activity was done from 1956 to 1963, until ICF furnishing division came out. From 1965 onwards the main activity of Carriage & Wagon POH were started and POH of Air conditioned coaches are being under taken since 1954.

Railways in Perambur is also noteworthy because of the visit of Mahatma Gandhi in 1933.[6]

Development

In 2013, the station was being revamped at a cost of ₹ 12 million, with the work being expected to be completed in 6 months. As of 2013, work on extension of two platforms (platform nos. 2 and 3) is being undertaken to make them suitable for 12-compartment trains. Presently, these platforms can accommodate only nine-compartments trains. There is a new subway coming up in the east end of the station to ease the commuters.[2]

Exclusive two-wheeler and car-parking facility have also been planned on 6,000 sq m. More water taps and coolers, seating arrangement, refreshment outlets and better illumination are part of the renovation. About 220 light will be installed. The dilapidated Government Railway Police (GRP) station will be shifted to a new building close to the station, and each platform will have a police help desk.[2] Since April 2014, a new help desk for enquiries regarding arrival and departure of trains and filing cases against thefts, the first of its kind in a suburban railway station in the city, started functioning at the station.[7]

See also

• Chennai Suburban Railway
• Railway stations in Chennai
• Integral Coach Factory
• Regional Railway Museum

Notes

1. The Chennai Central – Tirupati fast local using two train numbers i.e. train no.66021 (Chennai Central–Arakkonam Junction) and the same extends as train no.66049 (Arakkonam Junction–Tirupati).

References

1. "IR Electrification Chronology up to 31.03.2004". History of Electrification. IRFCA.org. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
2. Madhavan, D. (3 April 2013). "Perambur railway station to get more entrances, shelters, lights". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
3. "Go northwest, but don't take a train". The Times of India. Chennai. 27 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
4. "indiarailinfo.com – Trains at Perambur". indiarailinfo. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
5. "Lack of amenities at Perambur hits rail passengers". The New Indian Express. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
6. http://www.gandhiserve.org/information/chronology_1933/chronology_1933.html
7. Madhavan, D. (13 April 2014). "Help desk at Perambur railway station". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 28 December 2014.