The Royapuram Railway station is the oldest railway station in Chennai city. The first train in South India started operation in June 1856 from the Royapuram Railway Station. The station also remained the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway till 1922. As per the city’s list of heritage structures, the station is under the Grade I category. Augustine Roy Rozario, Founder-President of Anglo-Indian Suburban Front while keeping in mind preservation of railway history stated that the railway authorities can convert the heritage building into a valuable and informative museum having historic photographs and models of steam engines, just like the ICF Regional Rail Museum.Roy said that setting up a museum will not only bring Royapuram station to the spotlight once again but will also be a source of good income for the Southern Railway authorities.
Harry MacLure, a well-known Anglo-Indian personality in Chennai who publishes Anglos In The Wind, International magazine stated that for many Anglo-Indians, Royapuram station always holds a special place in their hearts, especially all the railway colony families. Harry Maclure stated that only prayers have saved the Royapuram station from demolition and its now become a heritage structure.From 1873, trains towards the northern regions of the country were operated from Chennai Central and those towards the southern regions of the state were operated from Royapuram station.On 9th August 1979, the lines at the station were electrified with the electrification of the Chennai Beach–Basin Bridge section. The lines from Royapuram to Korukkupet were electrified on 26 September 1987.With the Korukkupet railway station becoming functional as the container terminus, the Royapuram station started functioning as one of the suburban stations in the Chennai Beach-Arokkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network.Royapuram railway station ranks second in India in terms of space availability with 246,000 sq m, next to the Howrah station in Calcutta, India.
