Villivakkam to house city’s 4th railway terminal

CHENNAI: Rail users tired of boarding/alighting express trains at congested MGR Chennai Central and Egmore terminals need not go through the ordeal for long. They might be able to board/alight express trains originating/terminating at Villivakkam, where the fourth terminal of the city would be developed in three years.

Disclosing the information in the post-budget press briefing on Thursday, Southern Railway general manager RN Singh said Villivakkam has been identified as the suitable location to develop the fourth terminal of the city. “We are already doing a project survey. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is under preparation by the divisional railway manager (DRM), Chennai. Once done, we intend to build a new passenger terminal,” Singh said.

“The existing terminals (Chennai Central and Egmore) are congested and being utilised fully. Now we need a fourth terminal where we can start new trains in all directions. We were exploring the possibility of having a new terminal at Villivakkam. Like Chennai Central and Egmore, we will develop a terminal where trains will originate and terminate to have more new trains starting from the Chennai area,” he added.

“We have surveyed and found that Villivakkam is a suitable location where we can construct a new terminal. A detailed project survey is being done for the terminal at Villivakkam. Once that is completed, we will process it for sanction by the Railway Board. The work will be completed (maybe) in three years,” Singh said.

When asked, the zonal general manager said the DPR for the new terminal would be completed in a month. On whether land was available for the terminal at Villivakkam, he said, “Land is available. A little more might be required.” Apart from Central and Egmore, the State capital has a third terminal in Tambaram from where trains bound for south TN and Kerala besides north India originate/terminate now.