In another four months, the city's biggest underground transit hub for metro rail being built underneath the Central railway station will reach the final stage of construction. Metro rail engineers will begin laying tracks in the tunnels, which are now nearing completion. Commuters can, however, expect to walk down to the station and take a train only by the end of 2017.
Central metro will be a hub of six tunnels connecting two corridors of Phase-1 at two different levels with a crossover on both the decks. Two tunnels will run at a depth 18m and four tunnels are being built at a depth of 30m. Officials said the underground station will be similar to Alandur metro, which is a transit hub on the elevated corridor, where trains on corridor 2, from Central to St Thomas Mount, will run on the upper deck and trains on corridor 1, from Washermenpet to the airport, will run on the lower arm.
"We are planning to begin track work by March 2017. The building of tunnels will be complete before the end of this year," an official said. "The station is being constructed simultaneously." Once commissioned, commuters from north Chennai may have to switch corridors at Central Metro to go towards Poonamallee High Road. Those from St Thomas Mount or Koyambedu may have to walk to the lower deck to take a train towards Washermenpet.
According to metro rail officials, two tunnels for corridor 2 from Central to St Thomas Mount are being built at a depth of 18m underground. One of the tunnels from Egmore to Central is almost complete while another tunnel is expected to finish by early December. Four tunnels are being bored at a depth of around 30m. The tunnels will be connecting north Chennai with the rest of the city.
In October, the first of the two tunnel boring machines completed its drive from Washermenpet to Central, covering a distance of 3.4km. The second tunnel connecting the two stations is being excavated. One of two other tunnels which will run under the Cooum, connecting Central Metro with Government Estate station is also complete and the other is nearing completion.
Central metro will be a hub of six tunnels connecting two corridors of Phase-1 at two different levels with a crossover on both the decks. Two tunnels will run at a depth 18m and four tunnels are being built at a depth of 30m. Officials said the underground station will be similar to Alandur metro, which is a transit hub on the elevated corridor, where trains on corridor 2, from Central to St Thomas Mount, will run on the upper deck and trains on corridor 1, from Washermenpet to the airport, will run on the lower arm.
"We are planning to begin track work by March 2017. The building of tunnels will be complete before the end of this year," an official said. "The station is being constructed simultaneously." Once commissioned, commuters from north Chennai may have to switch corridors at Central Metro to go towards Poonamallee High Road. Those from St Thomas Mount or Koyambedu may have to walk to the lower deck to take a train towards Washermenpet.
According to metro rail officials, two tunnels for corridor 2 from Central to St Thomas Mount are being built at a depth of 18m underground. One of the tunnels from Egmore to Central is almost complete while another tunnel is expected to finish by early December. Four tunnels are being bored at a depth of around 30m. The tunnels will be connecting north Chennai with the rest of the city.
In October, the first of the two tunnel boring machines completed its drive from Washermenpet to Central, covering a distance of 3.4km. The second tunnel connecting the two stations is being excavated. One of two other tunnels which will run under the Cooum, connecting Central Metro with Government Estate station is also complete and the other is nearing completion.