Left: EIR 22 arriving at the Royapuram Railway Station. Right: Illuminated Royapuram Railway Station.
Royapuram Railway Station’s 170 years: ‘Station Mahotsav’ celebrated in Chennai
Inaugurated on June 28, 1856, Royapuram holds a landmark spot in Indian rail history as the first railway station in South India.
The Chennai Division of Southern Railway celebrated ‘Station Mahotsav’ on Wednesday (November 4) at the historic Royapuram Railway Station, marking 170 years of its rich legacy as one of the oldest surviving railway stations in the Indian subcontinent.
The day’s highlight was a special heritage run of EIR-22, one of the world’s oldest working steam locomotives.
Rare glimpse of vintage railway artifacts
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Visitors and railway enthusiasts got a rare glimpse of vintage railway artefacts, including an antique weighing bridge, a century-old Station Master table, Edmondson ticket machines, Jacquard loom punched cards, leather coin pouches, an over 100-year-old signboard, cast-iron E-type level crossing keys, and antique lighting equipment such as carriage lanterns and flush-mount gas lamps.
Opened in 1856
Inaugurated on June 28, 1856, Royapuram holds a landmark spot in Indian rail history as the first railway station in South India. It hosted the region's first-ever passenger train service on July 1, 1856, which ran between Royapuram and Wallajah Road.
Built in 1855 by Kitson, Thompson and Hewitson in England, the EIR-22 steam engine served from 1855 to 1909 before being placed on static display. It was restored to mainline readiness in 1997 by Perambur Loco Works and earned a Guinness World Record in 1998 as the world's oldest working steam engine in commercial service.
Flagged off from Chennai Egmore by U Subba Rao, general manager of Southern Railway, alongside additional general manager Vipin Kumar and divisional railway manager (Chennai Division) Shailendra Singh, the heritage train operated from Chennai Egmore to Royapuram. Senior officials travelled aboard the historic engine before joining the main festivities at Royapuram.