This station owes its name from the famous Tala Tank which happens to be the World's Largest Overhead Water Reservoir which was commissioned on 9th November, 1909. This century old structure extra-ordinaire towers at 10 storeys tall and is still the lifeline of water supply in Kolkata. Thus, the station earns its name by dint of its close proximity to the said tank. This station also formed a part of the famous Chitpur Rail Yard.