CHENNAI: Nearly every motorist passing by Central Railway Station any time during the day is forced to halt, honk and wave angrily at pedestrians crossing the bustling
Poonamallee High Road. But all this is set to change in a few months.
As the city’s largest underground transit hub at Central Metro takes commuters from north to the south of Chennai, four subways planned by
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) around the station will take thousands of pedestrians below the road making commute hassle-free for road users.
A new 14m subway that will connect Central Railway Station with Buckingham Canal above Central Metro will be ready by October, while two more subways will be built when
Central Square takes shape.
“Our plan is to take pedestrians underground as much as possible and let motorists use the road,” a metro rail official said.
One existing subway above the roof of Central Metro station has been renovated with new lighting.
Connecting Moore Market Complex with Park station, it was closed when the construction of Central Metro began more than five years ago. It was opened last May. Two more subways connecting Central Railway Station and
Evening Bazaar Road with Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital will be built along with a 20-storey Central Plaza and several other amenities for pedestrians. A part of Buckingham Canal behind
Park Railway Station closer to the bridge will be closed and landscaped.
According to metro rail, close to 70,000 people cross the road around Central Railway Station during peak hours. A section of those pedestrians are among the nearly four lakh commuters who take suburban, MRTS and long distance trains from the surrounding stations. In addition, metro rail estimates that nearly 15,000 passengers will board trains at Central Metro by 2026, which will include pedestrians.
While renovating existing subways and building new ones may be a solution to make way for smooth traffic flow, urban development experts say forcing pedestrians underground may not end traffic chaos. “While subways are one way to help people cross, pedestrians choose the easiest path which is at-grade crossing,” said Nashwa Naushad, associate, urban development, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
“The intersection in front of Central station receives massive footfall, with thousands of pedestrians crossing over every hour along with luggage. Apart from subways, proper at-grade crossing would be required to cater to the volume of people,” she said.
Representative image