CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) is looking for consultants to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for developing a multimodal transit hub at Guindy.
The project alms to link the Guindy metro station on Corridor 1, the adjacent suburban railway station on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram line, and the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus terminus.
The plan is being advanced by Chennai Metro Asset Management Ltd (CMAML), a wholly owned CMRL subsidiary tasked with infrastructure planning and non-fare revenue projects. Concept plans under discussion include an MTC bus terminal at ground level, basement-leyel parking for private vehicles, commercial floor above to generate revenue, and reconstruction of an existing student hostel with separate access.
There is also a plan to have foot overbridge connecting suburban railway and metro with the proposed hub. Sources said the current vision involves developing the hub on Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&ECE) department and under a long term public private partnership (PPP) lease, potentially for 50 years.
The state government, in its 2025-26 budget, allocated 750 crore to support multimodal terminals at Guindy and Washermanpet — two loca-tions long identified by urban planners as chokepoints that constrain the city’s public transport effectiveness.
Guindy, a high-density junction at the edge of the city's industrial estate, was flagged as a priority zone for integration by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) as early as 2022, under a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted planning exercise. According to tender documents reviewed by TNIE, the consultant will carry out feasibility studies, land-use mapping, market assessment, and preliminary architectural and financial planning.
The scope also includes proposing revenue models, and coordinating with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to navigate statutory clearances.