The Southern Railway has announced that the redeveloped Madurai railway station will incorporate symbols representing the Pandya dynasty, elements inspired by the renowned Meenakshi temple, and a sculpture depicting the Jallikattu sport.
Madurai Junction is one of the 1,318 stations selected for redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABBS). Anticipated to conclude by November 2025, the construction project aims to showcase and preserve the city’s rich culture and heritage.
Redeveloped Madurai railway station architecture, design
The station will feature an entrance resembling the ‘Gopuram’ (gateway tower) of the Meenakshi temple, known for its historical, architectural, and religious significance. The interiors will be adorned with paintings, including fishes representing the Pandya dynasty’s emblem. Given the traditional importance of Jallikattu in Madurai, a statue of a bull will be prominently displayed at the entrance hall.
“The entrance of the station will resemble the ‘Gopuram (gateway tower)’ of the Meenakshi temple which has great historical, architectural and religious significance. Its interiors will be decorated with paintings of fishes (emblem of the Pandya dynasty) and other heritage symbols,” Deputy Chief Engineer, Madurai Division, R Nand Gopal, said.
The east terminal building will comprise three floors, housing offices and passenger amenities on the ground floor, railway offices on the mezzanine floor, an air concourse on the first floor, and retiring rooms and commercial spaces on the second floor.
Station eyes 1 lakh footfall in 40 years
The redevelopment aims to address this future demand with enhanced amenities. R. Nand Gopal also shared insights into the current operations of the station, handling 96 trains daily with an average passenger footfall of 51,296. Considering the annual growth of one to two percent over the last decade, projections indicate a doubling of footfall to approximately 1 lakh in 40 years.
“We studied the increase in passenger footfall of the last 10 years and realised that the annual growth is between one to two per cent. Going by that calculation, 40 years from now the footfall will be double at about 1 lakh. We are creating amenities keeping this in mind,” he said.
In response to queries about the revenue model, Gopal highlighted the strategy of generating revenues from commercial spaces rather than increasing prices for various facilities.
“Besides train passengers, the station will attract other people as its commercial spaces will have (stores of) big brands and eateries,” he said.
Redeveloped Madurai railway station facilities
Additional facilities in the redevelopment plan include three multi-level parking facilities, multi-modal connectivity through subways connecting the Periyar bus station and Madurai Railway station, skywalks with escalators and lifts, and foot over bridges for seamless movement of passengers and parcels.
The Southern Railway awarded the redevelopment contract to M/s P&C Projects Private Limited, Chennai, on September 22, 2022, with an allocated budget of Rs 347.47 crore and a stipulated timeframe of 36 months for project completion.
“M/s TUV India Private Limited, Mumbai, has been tasked with the work of project management services (PMS) at a cost of Rs 10.88 crore. The PMS consultant is responsible for monitoring the project,” Gopal said.
(With inputs from PTI)