Tambaram Railway Station has overtaken Chennai Central in originating passenger numbers, recording around 6.11 crore in annual footfall in 2025–26, even as basic access infrastructure and the station’s larger redevelopment remain incomplete, according to a report by DT Next.
The station, one of Chennai’s three major rail terminals, handles more than 1.5 lakh passengers a day on average. It is classified as an NSG–1 station in the Southern Railway zone and recorded 3.64 crore originating passengers. The report also said passenger-related earnings rose from Rs 100 crore in 2021–22 to Rs 184 crore in 2024–25, up to February.
Despite the volume, passengers continue to face gaps in access and circulation around the station. A new foot overbridge has been built to improve movement within the station, but the surrounding connections needed to make it usable have not been completed.
“The station is operating with a single foot overbridge despite the high passenger volume. The new foot overbridge is also of no use without the circulating area. There are no proper entry and exit points, and neither autos nor taxis can reach the location on the east or west side,” commuter Siva Shankar told DT Next.
The station’s comprehensive redevelopment is being pursued under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, but design approval is still pending, a railway official told the publication. The official said work on lifts and escalators was expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The pending redevelopment follows an earlier process initiated by the Rail Land Development Authority. RLDA had invited tenders in 2020 to prepare a detailed project report for Tambaram railway station. The tender was initially planned for six months, but the station’s redevelopment has remained pending for several years.
The delay has resulted in a piecemeal approach to upgrades, according to activist Dayanand Krishnan. “Southern Railway is doing piecemeal upgradation, spending little by little. First, they built the FOB and brought in lifts. Now, after we raised the issue of how passengers would access the facility, they have started work on the circulating area and a new road access on the eastern side,” he said.
The immediate works reported at the station include the circulating area, eastern-side road access, lifts and escalators. The next major milestone is the sanction of the redevelopment design, while lift and escalator works are expected to continue towards completion by the end of 2026.
