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The '''Madras Railway''' was formed in 1845 although its first section of line, from [[Madras ]] to [[Arcot]], was not opened to traffic until 1 July 1856. In 1859, its object was given as "the construction and working of a railway from Madras to the western coast at [[Beypore]], with branches to [[Bangalore ]] and the [[Neilgherries; also of a line from Madras, ''via'' [[Bellary]], to join the line from [[Bombay ]] - total, about 820 miles."1

Headquartered in Madras, whence its lines radiated, the Madras Railway was built to [[broad guage]]. It was the last [[guaranteed railway]] to fall to Government ownership (31 December 1907). In 1908, it merged with the [[Southern Mahratta Railway]] to form the [[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway]] (MSMR). The Government took over the management of the MSMR on 1 April 1944. On 14 April 1951, MSMR together with the [[South Indian Railway ]] and the [[Mysore State Railway ]] became the Southern Railway of Indian Railways.