CHENNAI: Bus commuters facing hardship in accessing the Kilambakkam Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT), located 25-30km from Chennai city, can expect relief soon. The Chennai Railway Division plans to commence operations at the Kilambakkam railway station from the first week of July.
Divisional Railway Manager B Vishwanath Eerya told TNIE that one platform has been completed along with shelters. “Work on another platform will be completed within 30 days. A temporary ticket office will also be set up. Train stoppages are expected to begin in the first week of July. However, the state government should finish the foot overbridge (FOB) construction beforehand. Allowing trains to stop before that could pose a safety risk to commuters,” he said.
Besides, officials from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) confirmed that the issues surrounding the acquisition of 1.45 acres of land near the Kilambakkam railway station have been resolved.
Construction of a 450-metre pedestrian skywalk, which will connect KCBT to the railway station across GST Road, is expected to resume shortly. The proposed FOB will also connect to GST Road with ascending and descending escalators, effectively eliminating the need for pedestrians to cross the busy roadway.
The land-owning company, Premier Leather Corporation, has recently submitted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the state government to carry out the skywalk construction while land acquisition was under way. However, construction of the FOB could not resume immediately, as minor design modifications were required to comply with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) guidelines, as recommended by Southern Railway.
CMDA sources said the Madras High Court had ordered the price determination for the 1.45-acre plot. “Though the acquisition process is under way, the company’s NOC has allowed the government to proceed with the erection of the FOB pillars. The final price for the land has not been fixed yet,” added the official.
“Although the landowner granted consent, construction could not be resumed immediately due to the design changes where the bridge crosses the station premises. Southern Railway’s bridges wing has now approved the revised design with necessary modifications, which has been submitted to the government for final approval,” an official explained.
The Chennai division of Southern Railway has completed repositioning of the third track at Kilambakkam to facilitate construction of an island platform. A new 400-metre track has been laid adjacent to the third line and connected to the overhead line in both directions. The old third line has been dismantled, and the space is being used to build an island platform — positioned between two tracks — to allow passengers to board and alight from both sides.