Chennai Central railway station

Chennai Central is a railway station in Park Town with 17 platforms and a red brick facade in Gothic style featuring two curved towers. The main building spreads across several levels with large waiting halls and passageways through which hundreds of thousands of people move every day.

The station opened in 1873 to relieve congestion at Royapuram harbor station and quickly became the main hub for trains between South India and the rest of the country. Over the decades, the facilities expanded several times to meet growing traffic demands.

The station bears the name of actor and politician M.G. Ramachandran since 2019, whose portrait hangs in a central spot inside the main building. Commuters and travelers often pause briefly to pay respect before boarding their trains.

Trains operate from early morning until midnight, with peak hours in the morning and late afternoon. Signage is available in English and Tamil, and most ticket counters are located on the ground floor near the main entrances.

In 2014, this station became the first in India to offer free Wi-Fi for all travelers. Since then, thousands use the network every day to check connections or bridge waiting times.