CHENNAI: The first railway station in South India, Royapuram station marked 170 years of its history on Wednesday, with the Southern Railway organising a heritage event and operating a special steam locomotive service between Chennai Egmore and Royapuram.

EIR-22, one of the world’s oldest working steam locomotives, was flagged off from Egmore by SR general manager U Subba Rao, additional general manager Vipin Kumar and Chennai divisional railway manager Shailendra Singh. Officials travelled on the locomotive and arrived at Royapuram for the event. 

Inaugurated on June 28, 1856, Royapuram station played a key role in the introduction of passenger train services in South India. The first passenger train from the station began its journey to Walajah Road on July 1, 1856. Built in England in 1855 for the East Indian Railway Company, EIR-22 remained in service until 1909. After being kept on static display, it was restored by Perambur Loco Works in 1997.

In 1998, it received a Guinness record recognising it as the world’s oldest working steam engine in commercial service. The event included a photographic exhibition inside the station’s heritage building, featuring the station's history and vintage railway equipment.

The exhibits included an Edmondson ticket machine, a station master’s table, a century-old signboard, an old weighing bridge and antique signal lamps.