A driver in his cabin during the first trial run of the underground Metro between Koyambedu and Shenoy Nagar on Friday | ashwin prasath
CHENNAI: In a major relief for the travelling public, Chennai Metro Rail is planning to open a loop like facility created beyond Alandur for trains coming from Koyambedu.
Once opened in the next 8-10 days, commuters boarding at Koyambedu station will have direct connection to the Airport.
This is welcome news for passengers, including the differently-abled, and also those carrying luggage, who now have to get down at Alandur station, take a lift to go down a level to access the train heading to the airport from Little Mount station.
If the direct service without the break at Alandur is implemented, the travel time in the 16-kilometre stretch would be cut down by half. But it will have its own shortcomings in the longer run, warned officials. “Once the network is completed, there would be issues affecting the frequency of trains. It may also cause delays and problems in the future,” officials said.
The link comes after the CM J Jayalalithaa announced while opening the stretch between Little Mount and Chennai Airport that direct train connection can be provided from Koyambedu to the airport without having to change at Alandur.
Initially, it was said that the government was allocating `400 crore for the project. However, officials said the allocation was for a different project, but refused to provide further details.
Trains on the elevated stretches from Koyambedu to Alandur and Little Mount to Airport carry 13,000 to 15,000 passengers a day. The opening of Little Mount to Chennai Airport stretch has enabled passengers from Koyambedu to access Guindy and Trisulam stations, from where they can access Chengalpattu and Beach stations.
