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| restored Royapuram railway station,Chennai,deccanherald.com |
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| .Royapuran railway station, Chennai, TN.thehindu.com |
The story of survival of the Royapuram railway station in the superb of Chennai (Madras) is an enthralling one What is special about this solitary railway station in a part of sprawling Chennai city? Opened to traffic in 1856, still functional, it is the oldest surviving railway station in India, perhaps next to the Howrah Railway Station, Howrah, West Bengal that was opened in 1854. The building was designed by William Adelpi Tracey; resembling like a Regency Mansion in a Quasi. Design: classical style of the Renaissance Period.
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| Location map. Royapuram, Chennai, TN..researchgate.net |
The Southern railway officials after long deliberation opted for the demolition of the oldest station as a prelude in June 2013 approached the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority for the removal of the station from the list of heritage sites in Chennai. CMAD had the rights to make such a move. The CMAD official said, .....''heritage structures cannot be demolished, and no major work can take place in them. Royapuram station’s deletion from the heritage list will make it easier for it to be demolished,”
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| 1870 original structure. Madras Railway terminus. en.wikipedia.org |
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| A sketch.Royapuram railway station,1856..thehindu.com |
Above image: Royapuram railway station, Madras - as appeared in the Illustrated London News dated June 28, 1856. About inauguration of the station and services by Gov. Harris of Madras Prudency........ .
Conservationist's and heritage lovers of Chennai were furious about the wrong move made by the Southern railways. and made serious objection to this proposal. Already the original structures of Bombay and Thane stations in Maharashtra no longer existed. So, they wanted the oldest surviving railway station in the subcontinent not to be erased from the history. The railway officials, taking future traffic needs and growth into account, had planned several projects on the 72 acre of prime land belonging to the station. Two important ambitious projects were the creation one more passenger terminal next to existing Egmore and central station and the other being two rail lines to connect stations in south Tamil Nadu with the rest of the country.
To thwart the further move by the railways, a PIL was filed in the court. Responding to the suit filed by a lawyer restraining the CMAD from removing the Royapuram station from the heritage list of the city, the sub division of the Madras High Court, Chennai interfered in July 2016 and observed,''.....enlisted ... in the list of heritage buildings as per the notification already issued. Thus, there is a protection to the building. As to what would happen in future, we cannot guess. But suffice to say there is a mandate prohibitory against railways at present. We may suggest that if the railways want to expand the station, such expansion is always possible even while preserving the heritage portion”.
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| 2012 dilapidated Royapuram railway station, Chennai newindianexpress.com |
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| June 2013.Royapuram railway station building in bad shape.thehindu.com |
Until 2016 this station was a picture of total neglect and was falling apart slowly after every Monsoon season. Covered with thick layer of dirt and overgrowth of vegetation, the heritage structure had to be resurrected and repaired back to old glory. At last. by May 2017, Royapuram station was repaired and conserved under the watchful eyes of the conservationists and heritage lovers who wanted the heritage elements in the old building not to be disturbed while the restoration work was on..
Going back on the old history of this station, during the the East India company's rule in 1832, there was a proposal to build a railroad between Madras and Bangalore but, it was dropped midway though the survey had been successfully carried out. Because of continuous lobbying by the mercantile community in the presidency regarding the need for the railway services, the then government decided to introduce railways in the Madras Presidency.
Royapuram railway station became the first one in the Indian peninsular and it was here the laying down of the second railway line (next to Howrah, WB) of the South Asia commenced in 1853. Inaugurated by the then Gov. of Madras Presidency Lord Harris on 01 July 1856 the first rail services were run between Royapuram and Ambur and another from Royapuram to Tirveloore (now Thiruvallur district). One train carried Lord Harris and 300 Europeans to Ambur and the second one had Indian invitees travelling to.Thiruvallur. A new chapter in the history of Indian railways had just been made in the southern region.
The present generation of people may not be aware that Royapuram station (Built by Madras Railway Company) also served as the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway (private company) till 1922, when the headquarters was shifted to Egmore. Royapuram was the only railway station in the city serving the people for about 17 years. The Madras Central Station came into being in 1873. From 1873, north-bound trains were operated from Chennai Central and those south-bound trains were operated from Royapuram station and after 1907 from newly built Egmore Railway Station. Royapuram mostly handled cargoes from the near-by port.
The sad story is the original structures of two old stations in Maharashtra - Boree Bunder (later Victoria Terminus and now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Tannah (currently Thane station) built in 1853 do not exist any longer as they underwent many structural changes. So, Royapuram station now remains the oldest railway station in the entire subcontinent. The railway line was extended from Royapuram (Madras) to Arcot, then titular capital of the Nawab of the Carnatic, an alley of the English company. When the Arcot ruler's family was politically in a mess after the death of the Nawab, it was Robert Clive (August 1751) who successfully saved the kingdom.
Royapuram, in the earliest colonial era, was an ideal location as it was on the edge of a settlement of British traders and natives near Fort St. George. .Opened for traffic in1856 and the track was electrified on 9 August 1979.There is a large swathe of land of about 72 acres on the station premises owned by the Southern railways. It was once a fishing village on the coast.
The building was designed by William Adelpi Tracey; resembled like a Regency Mansion in a QuasiClassical style of the Renaissance Period.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/royapuram-station-may-s
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