CHENNAI: Southern Railway has demolished Park Town station to make way for the fourth line from Chennai Egmore to Beach.
The 4.3 km new line work, which commenced on August 28, is progressing fast. The acquisition of land parcels from the defence and Madras Medical College has been completed, according to railway officials. The project is being carried out for `279 crore and is planned to be completed by February next year.
The new line is being developed to convert Egmore Tambaram into an alternative terminal for trains from North India. Central, which has been handling northbound trains, reached saturation a few years ago, hence few weekly trains have already been diverted via Perambur and Korukkupet, skipping the stoppage at Central since 2019. To facilitate construction, MRTS services have remained suspended from Beach and Chintatripet since August 28.
Over the past two months, the Southern Railway has dismantled the tracks to facilitate the movement of machinery. A boundary wall was also built on the land acquired from MMC. “The Park Town Station has been fully demolished, and the work has been completed. As a major portion of the track passes along the Cooum River, the bank has been protected with secant piles.
Piling work along the Cooum River bank has been completed, with 497 out of 651 piles being laid,” added the official. “New platforms and buildings at Park Town will be built after completing the track alignment works. Additionally, three out of three minor bridges along the Buckingham Canal have been built,” said an official. Sources said the foundation work has begun for the construction of a major bridge across the Buckingham Canal. Additionally, the retaining wall between Chennai Egmore and Chennai Park Station is nearing completion.
“Platforms have been dismantled at Chennai Park and Fort Stations. The construction of new platforms at Chennai Fort has begun,” added the official.