New Chennai Metro Line: Chennai’s rapid transit ambitions are set to take a significant leap forward as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) moves closer to finalising the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the long-planned Tambaram–Guindy–Velachery metro corridor. As per the latest official reports, the DPR is nearly finished and will likely be finalized by January’s end.
Chennai Metro and its Phase II extensions prioritize mainly the north-south and east-west directions. In this light, the Tamparam–Guindy–Velachery route is one of the few excellent ways to connect heavily populated and well-off areas of commercial activity that suffer from severe traffic congestion.
Two of the biggest areas in terms of growth are Tambaram and Velachery, but their being separated by the lack of a direct rapid transit route has been a great inconvenience to commuters. The linking up of this corridor with Guindy, an employment and transit hub of utmost importance, will impart very good connectivity and assist Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in the area.
Based on CMRL sources and the draft report, the corridor is designed to extend about 21.5 km in length with 19 stations strategically located. These stations are situated not only in the areas of the most intensive residential and commercial use but also at traffic intersections to facilitate transfer to other transit types and lines. The route will go through Medavakkam, Velachery, and the multi-modal hub at Guindy, besides allowing to connect with the fifth Metro line from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.
To illustrate the policymaking’s priorities of commuting traffic patterns and peak demand areas, there will be a station next to Kamakshi Memorial Hospital in Pallikaranai and one next to Guru Nanak College in Velachery. The Velachery station is also likely to be connected to the current MRTS network which would, in turn, make last-mile accessibility much easier.
In order to prepare this detailed DPR, CMRL hired Systra MVA Consulting India Pvt Ltd in August of this year through a contract that was worth approximately ₹96.19 lakh. The consultants have predicted the demand by travel, made the alignment options, and also determined the technical and financial viability of the project.
When the DPR is ready, it will first be sent to the Tamil Nadu Government for state-level approval and later to the Government of India for the final approval and funds allocation. The officials expect that even with the approvals, the actual construction will take more than two years due to the land acquisition that has to be done and the shifting of the utilities.
The DPR is being closely watched by urban planners and commuters as well since a successful project in this area could bring about a change in the mobility landscape of south Chennai. The corridor will link up the colleges, IT parks, residential areas, and commercial centers, likely relieving the road traffic and saving the commuting time.
Besides, linking this line to Guindy, which is already one of the most crowded transit nodes in Chennai, could lead to a further dispersion of transit demand and greater economic activities around the new metro area.
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