Preserve historic platform built in 1861 at Nagapattinam railway station as a heritage structure: rail users
Rail users in Nagapattinam have urged the Southern Railway to declare the historic platform shelter constructed at the Nagapattinam Railway Station during the colonial era
Rail users in Nagapattinam have urged the Southern Railway to declare the historic platform shelter constructed at the Nagapattinam Railway Station during the colonial era as a railway heritage structure. The railway station building, with a unique and fully covered platform shelter, was constructed in 1861 by the South Indian Railway Company period. This unique closed platform shelter is a priceless engineering and historical asset, say the rail users. Nagore Nagapattinam Rail Users Association president S.
Mohan said as one of the oldest surviving railway structures in the Southern Railway zone, the fully covered platform shelter established on Platform 1 at the Nagapattinam station deserves permanent heritage protection without altering its original heritage character. Mohan said the Chennai Egmore and the Nagapattinam railway stations during the British period were provided with fully covered train shelter using imported girders and iron columns. Even after 165 years, the iron pillars remained strong and free from corrosion reflecting the outstanding engineering standards of that era, he said and added that it was a precious heritage asset in the delta region.
The fully covered platform shelter at Nagapattinam station used to accommodate a maximum of six or seven coaches during those times, he said. Just as the historic fully covered train shelter at Chennai Egmore is preserved as a heritage structure, the similar platform shelter at Nagapattinam station must be preserved for posterity as it is one of the engineering marvels, Mr. Mohan said. The platform shelter should be carefully preserved and maintained as it was of immense historical, architectural and engineering significance.
In a recent memorandum to the Southern Railway General Manager and to the Divisional Railway Manager Tiruchi, Mr. Mohan requested the railway administration to declare the unique shelter at Nagapattinam as a railway heritage structure and initiate necessary action at the earliest.
The BriefWire