In a few years, with suburban trains snaking their way through the ground level and Velachery-St. Thomas Mount MRTS network on the first, Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II trains from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur will run on the second level.
The MRTS network from Chennai Beach to Velachery is being extended to St. Thomas Mount with three stations — Puzhuthivakkam, Adambakkam, and St. Thomas Mount.
The Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II network’s corridor 5 from Madhavaram passes through Retteri, Anna Nagar, Koyambedu, Thirumangalam, Virugambakkam, Alandur, crosses St. Thomas Mount and Adambakkam, and terminates at Sholinganallur, covering 47 km in total.
From St. Thomas Mount to Adambakkam, the MRTS and Metro Rail networks share a common elevated alignment for a short stretch of 500 metres. The trains of both networks will cross each other at two levels.
T. Archunan, director (projects), Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), said the construction of this section was completed a few days ago. “Initially, it was decided that Railways will build the viaduct for MRTS and CMRL networks. Then, plans changed. After constructing their viaduct, Railways handed over the work to the CMRL, who built their viaduct on the second level. The work that went behind building this alignment was nothing short of a challenge,” he said.
