Madras Central Railway Station & Buckingham Canal, 1900 Photo
A 1900 photo of the Madras Central Railway Station, now known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station. Partially visible is the Buckingham Canal’s water body, and just beyond that stands the famous Moore Market. The station stands as one of India’s most iconic and historically significant railway termini. This grand terminus has stood at the heart of the city’s transport network since the late nineteenth century. Witnessing the evolution of Madras (now Chennai) from a colonial port town into a modern South Indian metropolis.
By the 1870s, railways had already begun reshaping southern India. The terminus was built to ease the congestion at Royapuram station, which was the first railway station in South India. At one time, the Royapuram station was sufficient for the city’s needs. But it struggled to keep pace with expanding trade, population growth, and the increasing need for the movement of goods.
The solution was a new, centrally located terminus closer to the city’s commercial core. The Madras Central Station was built on the grounds of a former colonial-era open garden known as John Pereira’s Gardens. Named after a Portuguese merchant, situated near what was once called Park Town. British architect George Harding conceptualized the original building, which Robert Fellowes Chisholm later expanded. Chisholm added the station’s signature central clock tower and ornate Travancore-style caps to the towers.
The Buckingham Canal is a historic man-made waterway running parallel to the Bay of Bengal through present-day Chennai. The canal once formed a vital inland waterway along the Coromandel Coast. It enabled the transport of goods such as salt, rice, and firewood. Named after the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, the canal reflects the city’s colonial-era efforts in navigation, trade, and flood management. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know- that the Madras Central Station has its own police station, hospitals, rest houses, and endless platforms. It functions like a mini town that never sleeps.
