First step towards integration: Chennai Metro Rail to build skywalk to link phase I and phase II networks at Vadapalani

Chennai Metro Rail to build skywalk linking Vadapalani stations for seamless transit between phase I and phase II networks.

By this time next year, if you are a commuter from Poonamallee heading to Chennai Central, all you must do is to alight at Vadapalani Phase II station, take a quick walk through a skywalk and directly enter the concourse of Vadapalani Phase I station and board a train to Chennai Central.

Chennai Metro Rail, which has been focusing on building the Rs 63,246 crore phase II project, will first launch the Poonamallee - Porur stretch later this year and Porur - Vadapalani - Kodambakkam stretch next year. For a commuter, Vadapalani is one of the key stations as it interlinks 54 km phase I and 118.9 km phase II networks. 

As a first step towards making transit between the two networks seamless, Chennai Metro Rail will build a skywalk interlinking both stations. This skywalk will be built in such a way to directly take commuters from the ticketing level of phase I to the ticketing level of phase II station.

Shilpa Ramesh, a frequent commuter of Chennai Metro Rail system who travels from Vadapalani to Meenambakkam for work, said this will be a convenient facility and should be ready before the stretch becomes operational. “Passengers wouldn’t want to exit the station and take the road to change lines. Hence, a skywalk will be a good option for commuters. CMRL should ensure that this skywalk is covered, and they should replicate this in other stations too, where phase I and phase II stations are closer to each other,” she added. 

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they have floated bids for the skywalk. It could take three months to identify the contractor and another six months to build the facility. The cost of construction is nearly Rs 10 crore and covered under the project cost. “The length of the skywalk is nearly 130 metres, and the width is six metres. It will be a covered walkway. The work to build stations between Poonamallee -Kodambakkam has been ongoing for a long time now. Since we have to open Vadapalani station next year, we planned to start work on the skywalk right way so that it is ready by the time we launch it for the public,” an official said.