Residents of the southern suburbs will get another station by the end of 2024 or mid-2025. Southern Railway has invited tenders to construct a halt station at Kilambakkam on the opposite side of the proposed Kalaignar centenary bus terminus.B Vishwanath Eerya, divisional railway manager, Chennai division, Southern Railway, along with other railway officials inspected the site on Saturday.
“We have called for tenders to construct the halt station at Kilambakkam and the roof for the platforms,” said Vishwanath Eerya. According to railway officials, there will be three platforms of around 300-metre length at the station. Only suburban trains will halt at this station. “The station and the bus terminus will be connected with the help of a skywalk that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will construct,” he added.
I Jayakumar, special officer, Chennai unified metropolitan transport authority (Cumta) said that the general arrangement drawing of the skywalk has been submitted to the National Highways Authority of India and the Railways for approval as it will be built across through the railway track and the GST road to reach the terminus.
“The station and the skywalk will be completed around the same time. Mostly by end of 2024 or mid-2025,” he explained.
As per the initial design, the skywalk will be 450 metres long, 10 meters wide and can accommodate 5,000 people in an hour. Cumta has planned a travelator, covered roof with skylight, a seating area, and a retail kiosk. It will have multiple landings— one will be towards GST Road to help people cross the road, one towards railway station, one into the main terminus and another at MTC halting point.
Meanwhile, the commuters wanted the government to first inaugurate the railway station and then open the terminus to the public. “If the skywalk is also completed, then people can easily enter the terminus during monsoon too when the roads are flooded,” said Murugesan, a resident of Perungalathur.
Other commuters wanted the number of services to be increased. “Having a station is a welcome move, but the services should be sufficient. Otherwise, the trains will be crammed during peak hours,” added Jayashree Gopal, a resident of Tambaram.