CHENNAI: Rail passengers at Chennai Egmore and Central need not haggle with auto and taxi drivers soon. Both the stations are set to be connected with Metro rail.Trial run on the 2.5 km stretch from Nehru Park to Chennai Central was conducted on Friday.
The stretch between Nehru Park and Chennai Central which is likely to open by March end this year will help provide important links for passengers not only to Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, but also to Asia’s largest vegetable market at Koyambedu and Chennai Airport.
The trial run was undertaken on completion of track and overhead electrification works. It is likely that the stretch will be evaluated by the Commissioner of Rail Safety next month after which it will get the green signal for operation of trains. This would mean that the entire 19-km Green line from St Thomas Mount to Nehru Park would link Central Station, via Egmore.
Along with the stretch, Chennai Metro will also simultaneously open the four-km stretch from AG-DMS to Little Mount. This would mean that the Blue Line (Corridor-1) will have nearly 13-km stretch under operation by the end of this financial year.
The stretch from DMS to Saidapet comprises four stations - Saidapet, Nandanam, Teynampet and AG-DMS. Chennai Metro hopes that once the four-km underground stretch is opened, it would boost the ridership significantly and give an option for passengers to skip the busy Anna Salai stretch.
The entire stretch is a commercial area and is dotted with government offices, colleges, hotels, malls and shopping centres. It would also connect Annanagar with DMS and DMS with Airport, said officials.