Egmore Railway Station

A colonial-era railway terminus opened in 1908 for the South Indian Railway, built in Gothic and Indo-Saracenic style with a soaring portico and clock-towered facade. For decades it was the gateway for trains to southern Tamil Nadu. It is a protected heritage structure and one of Chennai's most photographed buildings.

Egmore Railway Station, Egmore
Practical guide

Plan Egmore Railway Station

Who's going?Tailor Egmore Railway Station to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseEgmore
DistrictChennai
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Places to visit3Listed businesses2

Egmore Railway Station is planned from Egmore, one of the travel bases in Chennai district. Use Egmore for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.

The story

Chennai Egmore Railway Station is worth visiting for a major Indo-Saracenic rail terminus and southern Tamil Nadu gateway.

The story of Egmore Railway Station

Use the authorised entrance and take time to understand the specific architecture, collection, ecology or public role of Chennai Egmore Railway Station.

The present station building opened in 1908 and became a principal terminus of the South Indian Railway.

Egmore Railway Station deserves time for the details identified above rather than a rushed photograph. At Egmore Railway Station, use the named visitor approach, check the current public boundary on arrival and concentrate on the feature that makes this place distinct within its town. For Egmore Railway Station, any closure, worship restriction or safety barrier takes precedence over an older itinerary.

Legend & myth

Generations of departures give Egmore strong travel memory, while platforms remain controlled railway space.

Read the full history of Egmore Railway Station 32 more words

History

The present station building opened in 1908 and became a principal terminus of the South Indian Railway.

Why visit

Experience a major Indo-Saracenic rail terminus and southern Tamil Nadu gateway in its real setting.

What to expect

Highlights

Getting there

How to visit

  • Base yourself in Egmore or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
  • If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.

Distance by road

  • Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram)55 km
  • Kanchipuram72 km
  • Puducherry150 km
  • Vellore135 km
  • Tirupati135 km

Road km to Chennai; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.

Timing

Best time

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

Weather in Egmore Railway StationSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Egmore Railway Station
Sunrise5:59 am
Sunset5:50 pm
Golden hour best light4:50 pm–5:50 pm
Blue hour after sunset5:50 pm–6:15 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 24%

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Egmore Railway Station

Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Egmore Railway Station — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.

Top pick
Hotel
Hotel Pandian
330 m · 4 min walk

Hotel. 15, Kennet Ln, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600008.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Hotel
Hotel Park Plaza
530 m · 7 min walk

Hotel. 29, Whannels Road, Egmore, Chennai, 600008.

Directions Commission-freeView details

Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.

Ranked guides

Top experiences around Egmore

2 more places around Egmore. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

churchSt. Andrew's Kirk

620 m · 8 min walk

A Church of Scotland kirk consecrated in 1821, built to serve the Scottish community of Madras and modelled on St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Its circular nave is crowned by a shallow masonry dome painted deep blue and studded with gilt stars, and rests on cast-iron columns. It is considered one of the finest colonial churches in India.

heritageNational Art Gallery

300 m · 4 min walk

Housed in a striking red Indo-Saracenic building opened in 1909 within the Pantheon Complex at Egmore, designed by Henry Irwin and built of Satyavedu sandstone. It holds Rajput and Mughal miniatures, Tanjore paintings, ivory and metalware. Its ornate arched facade is among the most photographed heritage structures in Chennai.

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Before you go

Egmore Railway Station — at a glance

TimingsOpen 24 hours (active railway terminus)
Best timeYear-round (early morning for photos)

Entry: Free

Getting here

How to reach Egmore Railway Station

Egmore is a major terminus with its own metro station and city bus links.

Getting around Egmore Railway Station

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

If you need help at Egmore Railway Station
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Egmore Railway Station

heritageNational Art Gallery

Housed in a striking red Indo-Saracenic building opened in 1909 within the Pantheon Complex at Egmore, designed by Henry Irwin and built of Satyavedu sandstone. It holds Rajput and Mughal miniatures, Tanjore paintings, ivory and metalware. Its ornate arched facade is among the most photographed heritage structures in Chennai.

300 m · 4 min walk · straight line
museumGovernment Museum, Chennai

Established in 1851, the Government Museum in Egmore is one of the oldest museums in India (widely cited as the second oldest after the Indian Museum, Kolkata). Set in a complex of striking red Indo-Saracenic buildings, it is celebrated for its Bronze Gallery of Chola-era bronzes, including a famous Nataraja, and for the historic Connemara Public Library.

480 m · 6 min walk · straight line
heritageConnemara Public Library

Opened in 1896 and named after Lord Connemara, this is one of India's four National Depository Libraries, entitled to a copy of every book, newspaper and periodical published in the country. It occupies a magnificent Indo-Saracenic hall within the Egmore museum complex and remains a working public library and treasure house of rare volumes.

540 m · 7 min walk · straight line
churchSt. Andrew's Kirk

A Church of Scotland kirk consecrated in 1821, built to serve the Scottish community of Madras and modelled on St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Its circular nave is crowned by a shallow masonry dome painted deep blue and studded with gilt stars, and rests on cast-iron columns. It is considered one of the finest colonial churches in India.

620 m · 8 min walk · straight line
heritageRajaji Hall

Originally the Banqueting Hall, it was built in 1802 within the Government Estate to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. Designed in imposing Neoclassical style with towering Ionic columns, it later hosted state functions and lyings-in-state of Tamil Nadu leaders. It is named after C. Rajagopalachari, independent India's last Governor-General.

1.3 km · 16 min walk · straight line
heritageRipon Building

A gleaming white Neoclassical colonial building completed in 1913 and designed by G.T.S. Harris, serving as the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation. It is named after Lord Ripon, the Viceroy regarded as the father of local self-government, and is famed for its Westminster-chime clock tower.

1.5 km · 19 min walk · straight line
heritageVictoria Public Hall

Chennai's Victorian-era Town Hall, a red-brick Indo-Saracenic landmark near Central station in Park Town, designed by Robert Chisholm and built between 1883 and 1889. Restored under the Singara Chennai initiative, it now serves as a heritage museum and cultural performance venue.

1.6 km · 20 min walk · straight line
heritageSpencer Plaza

The site of Spencer & Co., established in the 1860s, whose grand department store was among the earliest and largest shopping arcades in India before a 1983 fire destroyed the original Indo-Saracenic building. The present mall retains the historic Spencer's name and remains a Mount Road landmark. It is often cited as the first shopping mall in the country.

1.7 km · 22 min walk · straight line
P
Pachaiyappa's College
Place
heritagePachaiyappa's College

Established in 1842 from the charitable bequest of the 18th-century merchant Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, it is one of the oldest educational institutions in the city. Its main hall on Poonamallee High Road is a striking replica of the Temple of Theseus in Athens, with a Greek-columned portico. It played a major role in the intellectual life of colonial Madras.

1.9 km · 23 min walk · straight line
heritageAmir Mahal

Amir Mahal in Royapettah is the official residence of the Prince of Arcot, titular descendant of the Nawabs of the Carnatic. This Indo-Saracenic palace, adapted into a royal residence by Robert Chisholm in 1876, remains a working home with only limited public access.

2.0 km · 25 min walk · straight line
mosqueThousand Lights Mosque

Built in 1810 by the Arcot Nawab Umdat ul-Umara, this multi-domed Shia mosque takes its name from an old tradition of lighting a thousand oil lamps to illuminate the assembly hall that once stood here. It is regarded as one of the largest mosques in the country and a major centre of azadari for Chennai's Shia community.

2.1 km · 27 min walk · straight line
heritageKannagi Statue

A statue on the Marina of Kannagi, the wronged heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadikaram, depicted holding aloft the anklet with which she confronted the Pandya king. Installed in 1968, it was controversially removed in 2001 and restored to the beach in 2006 after public pressure. It is a celebrated emblem of Tamil cultural pride.

2.3 km · 29 min walk · straight line

All 3 places to visit in Egmore →

On the map

Where Egmore Railway Station is

Good to know

Egmore Railway Station — frequently asked

How long should I allow?

Allow about two hours for Chennai Egmore Railway Station, adding time for queues, worship, birding, weather or closures.

Where do the directions lead?

The Directions link leads to the practical visitor entrance for Chennai Egmore Railway Station; follow current signs for parking, tickets and permitted entry.

When is the best time to visit Egmore Railway Station?

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

What are the entry fee and timings at Egmore Railway Station?

Entry: Free. Timings: Open 24 hours (active railway terminus).

How do I reach Egmore Railway Station?

Base yourself in Egmore or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.

How much time do I need for Egmore Railway Station?

About an hour.

What else is near Egmore Railway Station?

Nearby you can pair National Art Gallery (300 m), Government Museum, Chennai (480 m), Connemara Public Library (540 m), St. Andrew's Kirk (620 m).

Read before you go

Egmore Railway Station guides, stories & itineraries

We have not published a story about Egmore Railway Station itself yet. These cover Egmore and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.

Around Egmore

These guides explore Egmore and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.

Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries

Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

See all 53 Chennai guides & stories →

Image credits

Photographs: WikiSantaClaus, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0), RealinRear (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.