The Red Hills near today’s Chennai are called so because of the colour of their soil and rocks. By 1836, the construction of a rudimentary railway line began in these hills within the city of Madras to transport hard laterite used as road-building material. It was completed in 1837. The line, though basic and experimental, remains the oldest documented railway in India today.

The first experiment was conducted on Tuesday, August 28, 1838. It has been documented under “Experiment No. 1 with Locomotive”. The technical specifications of the locomotive were as follows: It had three-foot-long arms with a thickness of 1/5th inch. The weight of the engine and carriage was 2,800 lbs. Three other carriages, with an additional weight of 3,000 lbs, were attached. The coal and water, along with other elements, added up to about 600 lbs. Twenty-one persons occupied the carriages.