View source for Avadi railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox station
| name               = Avadi
| style              = Indian Railways
| type               = [[File:Indian_Railways_Suburban_Railway_Logo.svg|30px]] [[Indian Railways]] and [[Chennai Suburban Railway]] station
| image              = Avadi railway station.jpg
| image_caption      = Avadi railway station at night; Avadi.
| address            = Tirumalairajapuram, [[Avadi]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| coordinates        = {{coord|13.1182|80.1016|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| owned              = [[Ministry of Railways (India)|Ministry of Railways]], [[Indian Railways]]
| line               = [[West Line, Chennai Suburban|West]], [[West North Line, Chennai Suburban|West North]] and [[West South Line, Chennai Suburban|West South]] lines of [[Chennai Suburban Railway]].
| platform           = 4
| tracks             = 6
| connections        = [[Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai)|MTC]], {{ric|Chennai Metro}}{{rcb|Chennai Metro|red|croute}} - [[Avadi metro station]] ''(Proposed)''
| other              = 
| structure          = Standard on-ground station
| depth              = 
| levels             = 
| parking            = Available
| bicycle            = 
| accessible         = 
| code               = AVD
| zone               = [[Southern Railway (India)|Southern Railways]]
| opened             = 
| closed             = 
| rebuilt            = 
| electrified        = 29 November 1979<ref name="IRFCA_HistoryOfElectrification"/>
| former             = South Indian Railway
| status             = Active
| mpassengers        = 
| passengers         = 40,000/day<ref name="TOI_GoNorthwestBut"/>
| pass_system        = 
| pass_year          = 2013
| pass_percent       = 
| services           = {{adjacent stations|system1=Chennai Suburban|line1=West|left1=Hindu College|to-left=Arakkonam Junction|right1=Annanur|to-right1=Chennai Central MMC}}
| route_map          = {{West Line, Chennai Suburban}}
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-marker    = rail
| mapframe-marker-color = #FF3210
| mapframe-zoom      = 14
| map_state          = collapsed
}}

'''Avadi railway station''' (station code: AVD<ref name="sr_stn">{{cite web |title=SOUTHERN RAILWAY LIST OF STATIONS AS ON 01.04.2023 (CATEGORY- WISE) |url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/coaching/TAG_2023-24/Station_Code_Index.pdf |website=Portal of Indian Railways |publisher=Centre For Railway Information Systems |access-date=23 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327103448/https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1686913242750-SR%20-LIST%20OF%20STATIONS-2023.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2024 |page=1 |date=1 April 2023}}</ref>) is an NSG–2 category [[List of railway stations in India|Indian railway station]] in [[Chennai railway division]] of [[Southern Railway zone]].<ref name="sr_stn" /> It is one of the major railway terminals of the [[Chennai Central]]–[[Arakkonam]] section of the [[Chennai Suburban Railway Network]]. It serves the neighbourhood of [[Avadi]], a suburb of [[Chennai]] located 23&nbsp;km west of the city centre. It is situated at Tirumalairajapuram locality of Avadi, with an elevation of 26.85&nbsp;m above [[Mean sea level|sea level]]. According to a railway release in 2008, there are plans to develop Avadi station as a coaching terminal (satellite terminal) for [[Chennai Central|Chennai Central railway station]], on the lines of [[Tambaram railway station|Tambaram station]] being developed as a terminal for [[Chennai Egmore|Egmore railway station]].<ref name="PlansToDevelopAvadiOrAmbattur">{{cite news
  | title = Plans to develop Avadi or Ambattur railway station
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 16 November 2008
  | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Plans-to-develop-Avadi-or-Ambattur-railway-station/articleshow/3718429.cms
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130104005947/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-11-16/chennai/27917600_1_railway-station-southern-railway-railway-board
  | url-status = live
  | archive-date = 4 January 2013
  | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
  | access-date = 23 Aug 2012}}</ref> Later in 2023, the plan of making Perambur as 4th railway terminal was considered but not finalised. But, there are repeated requests from commuters to make Avadi as railway terminal.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Residents want Avadi or Tiruvallur as railway terminal
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 4 February 2024
  | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/residents-want-avadi/tiruvallur-as-rly-terminal/articleshow/107394726.cms
  | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
  | access-date = 6 May 2025}}</ref>
==History==
The first lines in the station were electrified on 29 November 1979, with the electrification of the Chennai Central–[[Tiruvallur]] section. The EMU car shed lines at Avadi were electrified on 1 February 1980. Additional lines at the station were electrified on 2 October 1986, with the electrification of the [[Villivakkam railway station|Villivakkam]]–Avadi section.<ref name="IRFCA_HistoryOfElectrification">{{cite web
 | title = IR Electrification Chronology up to 31.03.2004
 | work = History of Electrification
 | publisher = IRFCA.org
 | url = http://irfca.org/docs/electrification-history.html
 | access-date = 17 Nov 2012}}</ref>

The electrification preliminaries, such as poles, were observed on the railway lines passing through Avadi Railway Station as early as 1977. The first broad-gauge electric EMUs were first introduced on the Madras Central–[[Gummidipoondi]] section by 1979 and in the next phase on the Madras Central–Tiruvallur section around 1980. From around 1971 to 1980, there these beastly WP steam locomotives that were hauling the Suburban trains going up to Tiruvallur and Gumidipoondi. The WDS category shuttle diesel were seen pulling the [[Pattabiram]] Military Siding trains going up to [[Pattabiram East Depot railway station|E Depot]] in the Avadi Air Force Station Cantonment Area. It helped identifying the trains. As for the express trains passing through Avadi, those were diesel electrics. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was probably the [[Baldwin Class 10-12-D|Baldwin Class WP steam locos]] that were hauling trains such as [[Dadar Chennai–Egmore Express|Dadar Express]] and [[Imperial Indian Mail|Bombay Mail]] from [[Kalyan]], taking over the duties from the mighty WCM DC Electrics operating on the [[Bombay]]–Kalyan route.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Layout==
The station has six tracks, including two loop lines, and has four platforms. The first platform is a [[side platform]] housing the station's entrance and the ticket counter, and the second and third are part of an [[island platform]]. The fourth platform borders the northern end of the station and is the longest of all the platforms. The platforms are connected by means of a [[footbridge]].

As of 2013, the station handles about 40,000 passengers a day.<ref name="TOI_GoNorthwestBut">{{cite news
 | title = Go northwest, but don't take a train
 | newspaper = The Times of India
 | location = Chennai
 | publisher = The Times Group
 | date = 27 April 2013
 | url = http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOINEW&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOICH/2013/04/27&ID=Ar00600
 | access-date = 28 Apr 2013
 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130630104528/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOINEW&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOICH/2013/04/27&ID=Ar00600
 | archive-date = 30 June 2013
 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== Station layout ===
{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0"
| valign="top" width="50" style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |'''G'''
| valign="top" width="100" style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |North Entrance Street level
| valign="top" width="390" style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |Exit/Entrance & ticket counter
|-
| rowspan="7" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width="50" valign="center" |'''P'''
| colspan="2" style="border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" |[[Foot overbridge|<small>FOB</small>]]<small>, [[Side platform]]<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''P4''' – '''''Express Lines'''''</small>
|-
| width="100" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |<span style="color:#{{rail color|Chennai Suburban|West}}">'''Platform 4'''</span>
| width="500" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |Towards → [[Chennai Central railway station|MGR Chennai Central]]
|-
| width="100" style="border-bottom:solid 1px white;" |<span style="color:#{{rail color|Chennai Suburban|West}}">'''Platform 3'''</span>
| width="500" style="border-bottom:solid 1px white;" |Towards ← [[Arakkonam Junction railway station|Arakkonam Junction]] / [[Jolarpettai Junction railway station|Jolarpettai Junction]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" |[[Foot overbridge|<small>FOB</small>]]<small>, [[Island platform]]<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''P2''' Doors will open on the left<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''P3''' – '''''Express Lines'''''</small>
|-
| width="100" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |<span style="color:#{{rail color|Chennai Suburban|West}}">'''Platform 2'''</span>
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width="500" |Towards → [[Moore Market Complex railway station|Chennai Central MMC]] <small>next station is [[Annanur railway station|Annanur]]</small>
|-
| width="100" style="border-bottom:solid 1px white;" |<span style="color:#{{rail color|Chennai Suburban|West}}">'''Platform 1'''</span>
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px white;" width="500" |Towards ← [[Arakkonam Junction railway station|Arakkonam Junction]] <small>next station is [[Hindu College railway station|Hindu College]]</small>
|-
| colspan="2" width="100" style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" align="center" |[[Foot overbridge|<small>FOB</small>]]<small>, [[Side platform]]<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''P1''' Doors will open on the left</small>
|-
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width="50" valign="top" |'''G'''
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width="50" valign="top" |South Entrance Street level
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width="50" valign="top" |Exit/Entrance & ticket counter
|-
|}

== Projects and development ==
Avadi is one of the 73 stations in Tamil Nadu to be named for upgradation under ''Amrit Bharat Station Scheme'' of Indian Railways.<ref>{{cite news |title=AMRIT BHARAT STATIONS |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1897980 |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=Press Information Bureau |date=10 Feb 2023 |location=New Delhi}}</ref> It is also in the Chennai Suburban Railway network that are being developed as Adarsh stations.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Nemilichery station to be ready in three months
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 4 August 2009
  | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-04/chennai/28201714_1_railway-stations-adarsh-stations-thiruninravur
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130103143041/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-04/chennai/28201714_1_railway-stations-adarsh-stations-thiruninravur
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 3 January 2013
  | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
  | access-date = 4 Oct 2012}}</ref>

A metro rail connectivity from Pattabiram to Koyambedu by [[Line 5 (Chennai Metro)|Red line]] corridor of [[Chennai Metro]], connecting this railway station and Avadi bus terminus, is approved by [[Government of Tamil Nadu]], with land acquisition near railway station underway.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sundaram |first=Ram |title=TN govt gives in-principle nod for Chennai Metro link from Koyambedu to Pattabiram |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/tn-govt-gives-in-principle-nod-for-chennai-metro-link-from-koyambedu-to-pattabiram/articleshow/120829027.cms |date=2025-05-02 |access-date=2025-05-02 |work=The Times of India}}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|India|Trains}}}}
* [[Chennai Suburban Railway]]
* [[Railway stations in Chennai]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/avadi-avd/1526 Avadi station at Indiarailinfo.com]

{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, West|Avadi|Annanur|DRBCC Hindu College|14|21.02}}
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, West North|Avadi|Annanur|DRBCC Hindu College|14|21.02}}
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, West South|Avadi|Annanur|DRBCC Hindu College|14|21.02}}
{{Transport in Chennai}}

[[Category:Chennai Suburban Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Chennai]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Tiruvallur district]]