Royapuram Railway Station Celebrates 170 Years of Railway Heritage in South India

Royapuram Railway Station, the first railway station in South India, celebrated 170 years of history on Wednesday with a special heritage event organised by Southern Railway. The celebrations featured a historic steam locomotive service between Chennai Egmore and Royapuram.

Special Steam Locomotive Service Marks the Occasion

EIR-22, one of the world`s oldest working steam locomotives, was flagged off from Chennai Egmore by Southern Railway General Manager U Subba Rao, Additional General Manager Vipin Kumar and Chennai Divisional Railway Manager Shailendra Singh.

Railway officials travelled on the historic locomotive and arrived at Royapuram Railway Station to participate in the celebrations.

Royapuram Railway Station`s Historic Significance

Inaugurated on June 28, 1856, Royapuram Railway Station played a significant role in introducing passenger train services in South India. The first passenger train from the station began its journey to Walajah Road on July 1, 1856.

The EIR-22 locomotive was built in England in 1855 for the East Indian Railway Company. It remained in service until 1909 before being preserved as a static exhibit. In 1997, Perambur Loco Works restored the locomotive to working condition.

In 1998, EIR-22 received a Guinness record recognising it as the world`s oldest working steam engine in commercial service.

Heritage Exhibition Showcases Vintage Railway Equipment

The anniversary celebrations also featured a photographic exhibition inside Royapuram Railway Station`s heritage building, highlighting the station`s history and the evolution of railway operations.

The exhibition displayed several vintage railway artefacts, including:

- An Edmondson ticket machine

- A station master`s table

- A century-old signboard

- An old weighing bridge

- Antique railway signal lamps

The celebrations honoured Royapuram Railway Station`s historic contribution to India`s railway network and highlighted the importance of preserving the country`s railway heritage for future generations.