Tambaram, Perungalathur await Metro Rail to tide over congestion

Residents in southern suburbs eagerly await Metro Rail connectivity to reduce commute time and improve convenience in Chennai.

Every day, Hemadarshini, 28, a resident of Perungalathur, spends nearly an hour to reach the Chennai Airport Metro Rail station from where she commutes to her workplace in Anna Nagar.

“My travel time would reduce by half if the Airport-Kilambakkam network becomes a reality because a station has been planned at Perungalathur. Life would become so much more comfortable for many like me,” she says.

Residents of the southern suburbs, especially those residing in areas south of Tambaram like Perungalathur, have been suffering during their daily commute in the absence of Metro Rail connectivity. While there are buses and suburban trains, they are not as punctual and convenient as Metro Rail, commuters say.

It has been nearly four years since the first detailed project report was done for the Airport-Kilambakkam stretch. As this 15.4-km network, which covers key suburbs including Tambaram and Perungalathur, has not been implemented, commuters feel let down.

The feasibility report for the Airport-Kilambakkam project was submitted in 2019, and in 2021, the Tamil Nadu government planned to start the work immediately since the detailed project report, too, was ready. But after the detailed project report was submitted, there were several rounds of high-level discussions to see if an elevated road should be constructed along this stretch.

As the discussion continued, the Kilambakkam Bus Terminus was inaugurated and the congestion increased substantially on this stretch. Finally, in February 2025, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has yet again revised the plan and submitted the detailed project report to the State government. A double-decker has been proposed in the new plan, with an elevated road on the first level and the Metro line on the second level.

The initial detailed project report predicted that if the work started by 2023, it could be completed in 2026. Today, even the land acquisition has not begun. Commuters from Tambaram and Perungalathur say it takes 30-40 minutes to go to the airport station at peak hours. While it is difficult for those residing in Chromepet and Pallavaram too, they can reach the airport station faster.