Kanchipuram railway station (station code: CJ) is an NSGâÂÂ4 category Indian railway station in Chennai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It serves as the principal railway station of the temple city of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
The station code can be retraced to a time as early as the 1860s when a 3 ft 6in wide gauge line was laid between Arakkonam and Kanchipuram (then known as Conjeevaram â thus CJ) by Indian Tramway Company. Southbound services towards Chengalpattu were then inaugurated, much later in the 1880s, when the ChengalpattuâÂÂWalajabad section was commissioned, after which in 1891, ArakkonamâÂÂChengalpattu and ChengalpattuâÂÂArakkonam passenger services began, post conversion of the entire section to broad gauge. Although, the resident folklore of Kanchipuram are more accustomed to calling this station as "New railway station", the station code CJ has been taken from the old railway station, about 1.5 km away, that is now referred to as "Kanchipuram East" â CJE.
Kanchipuram railway station is located at the entrance to the town on the Western banks of the Ponneri Eri. Situated about 2.6 kilometres from the entry arch of Kanchipuram on the ChennaiâÂÂBangalore highway, it is near the Kanchi Sri Ekambareswarar Temple and the nearest airport from here is the Chennai International Airport, located at a distance of 72 km from the station.
The station is on the ArakkonamâÂÂChengalpattu branch line which is a major route for local and suburban traffic.
Kanchipuram railway station is one of the stations in the Chennai Suburban Railway on the Chennai BeachâÂÂTambaramâÂÂChengalpattuâÂÂkanchipuramâÂÂTirumalpurâÂÂArakkonam route (South-West line) now fully electrified and commissioning as a circular route with two circular service as electric multiple unit running in each direction.