Online petition seeks Velachery-Kilambakkam Metro connectivity

Sathish Kumar, a Velachery resident who launched the petition, said in his petition: “Metro Rail should connect Velachery with Kilambakkam through Medavakkam, Selaiyur and Tambaram as part of the phase two extension.”

“The population in and around Velachery-Tambaram main road is increasing very fast day by day due to rapid infrastructure developments there. Any public transit system is incomplete without intermodal developments integration,” said the petition, which has been filed with online portalchange.org.

Pointing to the Madhavaram-Sholinganallur corridor in the Metro Rail’s phase two passing through Medavakkam, the petition said that it does not fulfil the entire travel demands of South Chennai. “Also, while there are plans to extend Chennai Metro Rail from Airport to Vandalur, it does not cater to the needs of people around Velachery Main Road. Also extending airport route to Vandalur will be less useful, as it already runs parallel to the existing suburban Beach – Tambaram trains,” itnoted.

Listing out the benefits of the Velachery-Kilambakkam corridor, the petition said that it would help increase the ridership on Beach-St Thomas Mount MRTS section, while Medavakkam Metro station would serve as interchange mode for those travelling to Tambaram and on Madhavaram-Sholinganallur line.

A senior CMRL official said that they were planning to build a light train connecting Velachery with Tambaram. “The light train project is more cost effective considering the high cost involving the underground and the elevated Metro Rail network,” the official said, adding that the light train is likely to cover a 15-km stretch via Pallikaranai, Medavakkam and Gowrivakkam.

“A consultant would be appointed to prepare a feasibility study on the light train project,” the official said.