Chennai Metro Rail to build second entry/exit at OTA - Nanganallur Road station

Chennai Metro Rail Limited to construct second entry/exit at OTA - Nanganallur Road metro station, easing commuter access.

In what could be a great relief for commuters, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will commence the construction of the second entry/exit for the OTA - Nanganallur Road metro station within a few months.

Unlike most stations in the Chennai Metro Rail’s 54 km phase I and phase I extension, the CMRL built only entry/exit for this station in GST Road (located in the direction where vehicular traffic flows towards Chennai airport).

Since there was no entry/exit facility in the opposite side (in the direction of Alandur), hundreds of commuters who drive, walk or get dropped in an auto or a bike, end up consuming more time taking detours to reach the station. For nine years since the opening of the station, commuters have been demanding that additional entry/exit points be built.

CMRL could not build the second entry/exit since that portion of land belonged to Officers Training Academy. Both organisations held talks two years ago and in October last year, the Nanganallur Metro Rail station was renamed as OTA - Nanganallur Road Metro Station. “Now, the work will commence in a few months. This additional entry/exit will have stairs, escalators, elevators and will be linked to the concourse and platform of the station,” an official said.

A. Ragavan, a resident of Nanganallur and a commuter who often travels by CMRL network from Nanganallur to Anna Salai said, “During the peak hours, I end up spending another 10 minutes, taking a circuitous route to reach the station, due to availability of just one entry/exit. I’m glad that CMRL has finally taken the first step towards constructing the second one. This will save time for many commuters like me.”

Non-availability of entry/exit also resulted in some of the commuters indulging in traffic violation, he added. “When people are racing against time to reach their destination, they don’t want to take a roundabout route and end up coming on the wrong side of the road (against the direction of vehicular traffic) and this could be dangerous,” he said.

Another commuter Akila Varadarajan, also a resident of Nanganallur said, while she is relieved about this move to construct a second entry/exit point, she noted that CMRL must also immediately bring in a dedicated fleet of last mile connectivity vehicles like minibuses. “Many senior citizens would be greatly benefited. With autos becoming expensive, it would greatly help if they can board a minibus and reach the station,” she added.