[wheelguy]

Among three options presented by consultant to expand phase-1, authorities likely to favor route with 16-km alignment along GST.

CHENNAI: The first phase extension from Chennai Airport to Kilambakkam, where the new bus terminus is proposed, is likely to be a 16 km stretch along the GST road, according to Chennai Metro Rail sources. This comes after Larsen and Toubro is preparing the Feasibility Study Report for Chennai Metro Corridor 1 Extension from Chennai Airport to Kilambakkam Bus Terminal.

Sources privy to the project said that as per the inception report, Larsen and Toubro was looking at three different routes from Chennai Airport to Kilambakkam bus terminus. These include a 16km stretch along GST road, 19km stretch from GST Road till Tambaram and Mudichur Road afterwards and 20km stretch that passes from Airport-Cantonment-Pallavaram Bus Stand GST Road via Hastinapuram and Tambaram West Mudichur Road to Kilambakkam.

It is learnt that officials are favouring the first option, that is the 16km stretch along GST Road. This alignment follows the GST Road and will be fully elevated. The consultant has suggested alignment along the center of the road if Right of Way permits along the first level and if there are existing structures then it will be along the second level. The stations will be planned integrating with Railways and Metropolitan Transport Corporation and utilizing their lands.

Sources indicated that a total of 13 stations are being proposed at a distance of 1.2km a station. Currently, there are seven suburban railway stations on this stretch. The option to have Metro rail along the GST road was preferred as the land acquisition and distance is minimal. The land acquisition required for the project will be defense lands after the airport, private lands where commercial establishments are located near Pallavaram, and near Perungulathur where elliptical road over bridge is being constructed by railways and National Highway Authority of India and private lands near Outer Ring road.

The flip side is that the metro rail will run parallel to the suburban rail network which could hit the ridership. Similarly, after Perungalathur there is no settlement on the left hand side. The biggest challenge will be the corridor will have to be taken to second level due to existing structures and proposals for elevated Expressway from Tambaram to Chengalpet. But what made this option successful is the multi-modal integration with public transport besides connecting all major traffic generators.

The second option along GST Road till Tambaram and later from Mudichur Road to Kilambakkam, which increases the mass transit network coverage in the south west suburban parts of Chennai, faces challenge as there is no major traffic generator in Mudichur Road and the right of way in the road is inadequate. The option which starts from airport via Pallavaram, Hasthinapuram, Chitalapakkam, Selaiyur, Tambaram and Tambaram West to Perangulathur, is a 20km stretch where the land acquisition will be maximum. The positive side is that it passes through highly dense residential area, sources added.

Source

[saisree]

This is a long awaited initiative and I, personally think, this should have been part of the phase-1 itself. Around 60-70% of the traffic on the GST road is from the southern suburbs, like Chromepet, Tambaram and Pallavaram and categorized as the residential places right from the British Raj. If Metro was available from these places it would have been a super hit already.

Hope they complete it soon and start phase by phase rather than waiting for the entire stretch to get operational. Also, when the proposed light rail between Tambaram and Velachery gets operational, it has high chances of becoming the most busiest and revenue generating stretch.

[DWind]

There exists a parallel railway infrastructure already in having rail tracks from Airport to Vandalur. Why not use the existing rails?

While I understand that tracks are not compatible (SG against BG) but at some point in time suburban and Metro lines need to be inter connected. By laying parallel lines between Metro and Airport I feel we are only wasting money which will take time to recover and instead can be for connecting areas not served by Mass Transit system. In fact, the Phase 1 by itself has not reduced any traffic on the roads as it was being constructed on well connected transport corridor.

Does CMRL think a person who can only afford SETC / TNSTC bus fare pay exorbitant fares on Metro to go to airport? Aha to that!

[narayans80]

This line doesn't make any sense, since there is already an existing suburban line catering. Rather they should proactively consider Vandalur-Kelambakkam metro along the Mambakkam road route.

Originally Posted by DWind

Does CMRL think a person who can only afford SETC / TNSTC bus fare pay exorbitant fares on Metro to go to airport? Aha to that!

While not SETC/TNSTC, but quite a few who private buses to CMBT do take the metro to airport especially during peak traffic hours.

[ninjatalli]

This would be a unnecessary area to focus if you ask me. The Railway line is already there. But somehow unlike Bombay here in Chennai we seem to give it a lower importance, ignoring its presence.

While a metro infra is always a good idea in any city, it should augment the existing infrastructure. Hope the people in decision make the right one.

[Thermodynamics]

I agree with Kelambakkam to Vandalur, the rest however is an overkill.

This stretch of road has barely come out of traffic mess caused by construction of metro and bypass flyovers, and here we have another one joining the band wagon.

[guru_max]

Originally Posted by narayans80

This line doesn't make any sense, since there is already an existing suburban line catering. Rather they should proactively consider Vandalur-Kelambakkam metro along the Mambakkam road route.

Large part of Vandalur-Kelambakkam road is unoccupied and it does not warrant metro now. It might be required in the future but our cities are lagging behind in such solutions for existing areas and it makes sense to focus on those first. I do agree though that Kilambakkam extension is not the most necessary thing to do now, but other corridors proposed under phase 2 looks promising.

[DWind]

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

I agree with Kelambakkam to Vandalur, the rest however is an overkill.

Please note that the discussion is about Kilambakkam (west of Urapakkam) and not Kelambakkam on Old Mahabalipuram Road. As I said there is no reason to connect the bus stand with Airport. Instead they are better off laying a new metro line to connect Kilambakkam with Kelambakkam

[searacer932]

Folks, In India the population is so huge that we need a mass transportation system such as train. Whether the line is from Airport to Kilambakkam or Kilambakkam to Kelambakkam I welcome the metro. In fact the entire Chennai city should be connected with metro (under ground or overground) with extensions to Mahabalipuram and Chengelpet on the South, Sriperambadhur to the east and Tada to the North. Then we can say that Chennai is a global city w.r.t transportation.