The 114-year-old Chennai Egmore railway station is to be revamped with modern infrastructure, landscaping and amenities at a cost of ₹450 crore. This is to cope up with the increasing passenger traffic.
The project will be executed under Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract mode. The targeted period for completion of the project is 24 months from the award of the project, says a release from Southern Railway.
The station was built in 1906–1908 as the terminus of the South Indian Railway Company. The building built in Gothic style with imposing domes and corridors, is one of the prominent landmarks of Chennai. The main entrance to the station is situated on Gandhi-Irwin Road and the rear entrance on Poonamallee High Road.
The station handles about 35 main line trains and 240 suburban trains, and about 2 lakhs passengers daily. The passenger earnings per year by the station during 2020-2021 was ₹125 crore. The Chennai Egmore station serves not only the south, but also the north (Hyderabad), east (Howrah) and west (Mumbai) with direct trains.
The redevelopment work includes station buildings, platform surfaces and circulating areas and efficient handling of train services and passenger movements, besides providing facilities for maintenance and operations.
The circulating area will be designed for intermodal transfer facilities to connect and integrate among various modes of transport. A separate pavement will be provided for drop-offs/pickups for hassle free movement of vehicles, the release said.