CHENNAI: A virtual walkthrough of the glorious past of Central Railway Station in Chennai has become a reality with the inauguration of a mural, comprising gigantic archived pictures and a brief description on the milestones the stately station has crossed over the last 14 decades. The mural was inaugurated to mark the commencement of the 140th year of the station in the presence of Southern Railway General Manager Deepak Krishan on Tuesday. Briefing newspersons on the occasion, Deepak Krishan said that the pictures would showcase the rich heritage of the station for commuters and visitors. “We chose this month for the exhibition, as April happens to the birth month of the Central Railway Station.” Asked about the progress in converting Central into a world class station, he said there were several complexities and legalities involved. In fact, plans are afoot to explore a smaller station for the purpose of a world class station and then carry out the same process in bigger stations like Central, he said. “Thane Railway Station in Central Railway is likely to be chosen for this,” he replied to a query on which station was being considered as an option. Interestingly Thane, which means ‘station’ in Marathi, was also known as Sthanaka, the capital of the Shilahara kings. The first train in India chugged out of Mumbai Victoria Terminal to Thane at 3.30 pm on April 16, 1853 transporting 400 passengers. Adding a feather in the security cap of the sprawling Central Railway Station, a new luggage scanner is being installed as part of the Integrated Security System.
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