Hauling about the Madras city on trains
This article details the early history of railway development in Chennai, noting its origins in industrial stone hauling before expanding into commercial and suburban networks. It emphasizes the strategic role of the Port Trust in shaping the city's rail infrastructure.
Why it matters
It documents the foundational infrastructure that enabled Chennai's growth as a major port city and industrial hub.
Trains in India first came to Madras. Period. Long before that famed train service between Boribunder and Thane, we had a train that hauled stone, from Red Hills and was operational in the 1830s and designed by that brilliant engineer Arthur Cotton. When commercial railway services were begun, Madras was connected in 1856 to Walajah Road. The terminus in the city was at Royapuram, which is why we still have a Northern Terminus Road there. All this was for long-distance connections.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in