Southern Railway operates Coaches, EMU/MEMU, DEMU, Wagons and Heritage steam locos on the broad gauge and Meter gauge. These assets are being maintained in good fettle by the Mechanical branch to provide safe and reliable transportation of passengers and Goods.

In order to maintain these rolling stocks, Southern Railway has 

Three major workshops

• Loco Works , Perambur, Chennai.
• Carriage & Wagon works, Perambur Chennai
• Central workshops, Goldenrock, Tiruchirappalli

Five EMU/MEMU CAR sheds

• Avadi Car shed, Chennai Division
• Tambaram Car shed Shed, Chennai Division
• Velachery Car shed, Chennai Division
• Palgat Car shed, Palgat Division
• Quilon Car shed, TVC Division

Apart from the above, 7 Nos. of special “X” class steam locos hauling Nilgiri Mountain Trains between Mettupalayam(MTP) and Coonoor(ONR) are being maintained at ONR steam loco shed. These locos are provided with rack and pinion arrangement for overcoming the steep gradient  (1 in 12.6) involved in climbing the picturesque Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

ONE Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) maintenance depot is at Tiruchchirappalli.

19 BG Coach Maintenance Depots 

• Basin Bridge, Chennai
• Gopalswami Nagar, Chennai
• Tambaram
• Erode
• Coimbatore
• Mettupalayam
• Shoranur
• Mangalore
• Trivandrum
• Kochuveli
• Ernakulam
• Nagercoil
• Alleppey
• Madurai
• Tirunelveli
• Tuticorin
• Rameswaram
• Tiruchchirappalli
• Villupuram

09 Wagon maintenance depots.

• Tondiarpet
• Jolarpettai 
• Arakkonam
• Erode 
• Mangalore Junction
• Ernakulam Goods Yard
• Milavittan  
• Irumpanam
• Trichy Goods Yard

Following are the major activities of Mechanical Department.

• Periodical Over Hauling (POH) of Coaches, Wagons, Diesel Locomotives, Steam locomotives and Other Rolling stocks in the workshops.
• IOH of Coaches and ROH of Wagons in Divisions.
• Primary Maintenance of Passenger rakes, Goods rakes and other specified departmental Trains in the divisions.
• Manufacture of Wagons in the shops.
• Schedule maintenance of EMU/MEMU & DEMU in Maintenance Sheds.
• Imparting Training to the staff at Training Centres  available in Workshops and Divisions all over Southern Railway.
• Maintenance of Heritage steam Locos at NMR and Rail Museums