Formed in 1852, incorporated by Act of Parliament, 1853. Main lines ran west from Madras to Bangalore via Jalarpet, south west from Jalarpet to the Malabar Coast at Calicut and north west to Raichur. In 1901, the company took over the portion of the East Coast State Railway between Vizagapatam and Madras, and in 1903 the Nilgiri Railway from Mettupalaiyam to Coonoor. The Madras Railway was purchased by Government in 1907. The northern portion was given over for working to the Southern Mahratta Railway, which became known as the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the southern portion became part of the South Indian Railway.