A human beehive working at a frenzied pace most chaotically would be the cursory impression of the Central Station. The buses, autos, and swarm of people converge at the station like bees. Traffic and people create the din; there is a rush and maniacal energy to the place.
There is an alluring air about Central Station – the red Gothic structure is the face of Chennai in weather bulletins and is also synonymous to the Tamil capital. The clock tower with a flagstaff has clocks in all the four directions and is at a height of over 130 feet. It is visible from a kilometre away. The building designed in 1900 sure gives the city a red personality and is figurative of the sun spitting venom throughout the year.
I have been taking trains from Central since 2000 when this city became my home. But arriving at Chennai Central at the end of a long journey always lifts up the spirit as my place at Besant nagar is just an hour from here.
Image courtesy: Wikipedia
The Higginbotham store has long been the meeting point. Say, if a group of friends are travelling they would most likely make this store the hang-out zone.
If there is one place that no one cribs about, it is the giant electronic display board that informs us about the departure and arrival of the next half a dozen trains. There are 12 platforms and this is a very busy station. This is the dead end station, so, the arriving trains must be taken to the yard quickly and make the platform available for the next one.
What whets your appetite is the number of good restaurants– namely, Saravana Bhavan, Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Dindingul Thalapakkatti, and Hot breads– available to cater to you. The Railways too runs a canteen for the travellers who look for cheaper options.
Image courtesy: Wikipedia
Chennai Central station became the first station in the country providing the travellers with free WiFi connectivity. It has seven touch-screen kiosks for PNR enquiry and a passenger information centre too.
The state owned Metropolitan bus runs outside the Central building in two specially made lanes for passengers who can’t afford the exorbitant auto charges.
Image courtesy: Wikimedia commons
Cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad may be racing ahead in terms of infrastructure but their main railway stations are no match to the Chennai Central. It stands out from the pack.
