CHENNAI: The Southern Railway has floated the tender for the much-awaited upgradation of the busy Tambaram railway station. The tender will reshape how the station is built and how it serves the passengers.
Expected to be completed in 12 months, the work includes large-scale relaying of roads, replacement of roofing, expansion of platforms for lifts, a fully digital information system and construction of new waiting halls.
The upgrade is split across two tenders: Rs 126.46 crore for civil works and Rs 2.51 crore for passenger information systems.
Inside the station, the entire existing road network will be rebuilt across about 11,000 sq.m, at an estimated cost of Rs 2.88 crore. The choke points near the foot overbridge are also being addressed. The circulating areas at both the east and west landings will be rebuilt at a cost of Rs 1.12 crore, with new flooring, structural work and railings aimed at easing the crowding that builds up during peak hours.
Platforms 5 and 6 will get new shelters, while a much larger exercise will replace damaged roofing across the station. Around 9,500 square metres of roofing sheets and 1,800 square metres of gutters are to be replaced, along with drainage pipes, for Rs 2.01 crore. The work also includes repairs to leaking sections and long-term waterproofing, along with added stainless steel and concrete bench seating.
A new waiting hall for platforms 7 and 8 will be built at a cost of Rs 45 lakh. This is separate from the existing west-side waiting hall, which was opened in February 2026
To address accessibility, two escalators will be installed at the existing foot overbridge on the east side, and platforms 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 will be extended to accommodate lifts at Rs 1.9 crore. Alongside the physical works, a separate Rs 2.51 crore tender outlines a station-wide digital system that will run train displays and announcements from a central control unit.
The system will include train arrival and departure boards, 52 coach guidance displays and 10 large screens across the station. Announcements will move to a network-based system with multi-language support, delivered through 70 outdoor speakers and 45 additional units installed across platforms and foot overbridges. The civil works are to be completed within 12 months, while the digital system has a shorter timeline of four months.