T.N. government gives nod to Chennai Metro Rail’s Poonamallee-Parandur corridor

Tamil Nadu approves Chennai Metro Rail's Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram-Parandur Project, enhancing connectivity with 14 new stations in Phase I.

The Tamil Nadu government has accorded in-principle approval to build Chennai Metro Rail’s Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram-Parandur project. This is an extension of corridor 4 of the Phase II Project from Light House to Poonamallee.

The government has also given in-principle approval for the “first phase implementation” of this corridor from Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram, which covers a distance of 27.9 km and whose cost has been estimated at ₹8,779 crore. If the first phase is constructed expeditiously, commuters will then have easy access to the Kuthambakkam bus terminus in the future. The State government has recommended the project to the Centre.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the 14 stations, which will come up between Poonamallee and Sunguvarchatram, are Nazarathpet, Chembarambakkam, Kuthambakkam Bus Terminus, Samathuvapuram, Chettipedu, Thandalam, SIPCOT Irungattukottai, Pennalur, Sriperumbudur, Pattunool Chatram, Irungulam Industrial Area, Mambakkam, Thirumangalam, and Sunguvarchatram.

Soon, the detailed project report (DPR) will be forwarded for the Centre’s approval, to get funding on equity sharing basis and for loan assistance, according to a Government Order from the Department of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.

The entire distance of the Poonamallee-Parandur Project is 52.94 km, whose cost has been estimated at ₹15,906 crore. The consultants who carried out the DPR suggested that the project could be implemented in two phases — from Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram in Phase I and from Sunguvarchatram to Parandur in Phase II.

“Soon, we are expecting orders to shift utilities and start land acquisition from Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram. The DPR states that the entire corridor is feasible, but for now, we will begin work for phase I,” a source said.

Meanwhile, CMRL is considering the feasibility of having a semi-high-speed system such as the regional rapid transit system (RRTS) to provide connectivity to Parandur.