Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 22, 2021

Chennai Central is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The terminus connects the city to northern India, including Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Ahmedabad as well as to Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and different parts of Kerala. The century-old building of the railway station, designed by architect George Harding, is one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai. The station is also a main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railway system. It lies adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway and the Ripon Building. During the British Raj, the station served as the gateway to South India, and the station is still used as a landmark for the city and the state. The station was renamed twice; first to reflect the name change of the city from Madras to Chennai in 1996, and then to honor the founder of AIADMK and the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran it was renamed as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central railway station on 5 April 2019. About 550,000 passengers use the terminus every day, making it the busiest railway station in South India. Along with Chennai Egmore and Coimbatore Junction, the Central terminus is among the most profitable stations of Southern Railways. As per a report published in 2007 by the Indian Railways, Chennai Central and Secunderabad were awarded 183 points out of a maximum of 300 for cleanliness, the highest in the country.