The state government is thinking of having multiple metro rail stations in Parandur, where the city’s greenfield airport is proposed to be built in 4,500 acres. CMRL is planning to extend its proposed Poonamallee -Sriperumbudur line further by another 28km or so to connect Parandur to the metro network.
During the course of a feasibility study to lay a metro rail line, it has been assessed that there is a need for multiple stations in Parandur itself before the line ends at the new airport. The move comes because the government is planning to develop an Aero city comprising a township with hotels, educational institutions, aviation ancillary units, a MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) hub for aircraft.
“In Parandur, there won’t be just an airport, it will be an airport city. So we will have to provide multiple stations. Our consultant is doing the study. The initial report is likely to be ready in April,” a metrorail official said.
Feasibility of the line, alignment, type of trains (metro, metro lite or mono rail), ridership projection, number of stations, whether the line should be inside the terminals and cost estimate will be assessed in the study. However, these details can be finalised only after the boundary of the airport site is fixed.
The government had earlier announced a line from Poonamallee Bypass to Sriperumbudur as an extension of phase-2 corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass (26.1km). Parandur was added after the location of the second airport was announced in August 2022.
The line will help passengers to reach T Nagar, Vadapalani and other core areas in less than two hours.
An official said the trains will be faster because stations will be there only for every 7- 10km between Poonamallee and Parandur. The tracks and train coaches may also be different. In phase-1 and 2 lines, stations are located every 800m to 1km.
A consultant who will be identified soon by Tidco for the airport project will also “review the existing connectivity of the site and propose additional connectivity requirements to ensure seamless and fast travel to the proposed airport.”