Central Metro, officially Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central metro station, is an underground
metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
station in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, India.
It serves both lines of the
Chennai Metro
The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 4th longest metro system In india. The system commenced service in 2015 after partially opening the first phase of the project. The network c ...
.
[.] Central metro station is spread over an area of .
On 31 July 2020, It has been named by
Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
as ''Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro'' to honor the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief mini ...
founder and the former
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the chief executive of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with th ...
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
.
The station
![Central Metro Station Chennai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Central_Metro_Station_Chennai.jpg)
The station is an underground, two-level station on Poonamallee High Road in front of the
Chennai Central railway station
Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...
and the
Ripon Building
The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, a combination of Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Ripon Building is an all-white structur ...
. The station is one of the two metro stations where Corridor I (
Airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
–
Wimco Nagar) of the project will intersect with Corridor II (Chennai Central Metro–
St Thomas Mount via
Egmore
Egmore is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Situated on the northern banks of the Coovum River, Egmore is an important residential area as well as a commercial and transportation hub. The Egmore Railway Station was the main terminus of the Madr ...
and CMBT Metro), the other being the
Alandur metro station
Arignar Anna Alandur Metro, commonly known as the Alandur Metro, is an elevated metro station that is part of the Blue Line and the Green Line of the Chennai Metro, and serves as an interchange station between the two lines. The station is o ...
. The metro station, being constructed at a depth of 28 m, will be the largest of all metro stations in the city with an area of over 30,000 sq m.
The three-level metro station will cover a length of 410 metres and will have a width of 35 metres.
Unlike the other metro stations which have four entry points, the Chennai Central Railway Station will have six entry/exit points for access to
Park suburban and
Park Town MRTS stations, Ripon Building,
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1664 by the British East India Company, it is the first moder ...
, and Chennai Central railway station.
The station will act as a transit point for passengers from the Chennai Central railway station,
Park Town, and
Park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
railway stations.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 commuters will use the station daily.
The station is one of the few in the corridor that will have parking facilities.
Space will be allocated for parking in a basement area for about 500 cars and 1,000 two-wheelers. There are also plans to have the airport check-in facility in one of the basement levels at the station, which will allow air passengers to complete the check-in procedures at the station itself.
A bus bay has also been planned opposite the station.
The station is one of the three stations in the Chennai Metro Rail network that will have 230-kV receiving sub-stations for power supply from the state's electricity grid. The other two are
Koyambedu
Koyambedu is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Situated in the western part of Chennai city, the Koyambedu area has become a major hub of activity in Chennai City after the inauguration of the Koyambedu market in 1996 and the Chennai Mofussil ...
and
Arignar Anna Alandur Metro.
The station was opened on 25 May 2018.
As of December 2019, the station had a daily footfall of about 9,500 passengers,
up from about 7,700 in February 2019,
making it the second busiest metro station in the city after
Thirumangalam.
Station layout
Landscape
The Chennai Corporation has plans to develop a park over the Chennai Central Metro. Chennai Metro Rail Limited has agreed to a proposal by the Chennai Corporation of extending the Ripon Buildings Park over the Chennai Central underground metro station. Waterproof structures will be created over the station to facilitate the creation of the park. A portion of the park, which will cover more than six acres of the premises of Ripon Buildings and Victoria Public Hall, will be developed on a waterproof concrete slab area, measuring 210 metres by 10 metres. Visitors to the Ripon Buildings Park, Amma Maaligai and Victoria Public Hall will have access to the Chennai Central Metro through some of its seven entry points.
See also
*
List of Chennai metro stations
*
Railway stations in Chennai
Chennai, the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, and the headquarters of the Southern Railway zone, is a major rail transport hub in the country. It has over 40 railway stations which are part of an extensive suburban railway ne ...
*
Rajiv Chowk metro station
The Rajiv Chowk is a Delhi Metro station in Delhi, on the Blue and Yellow Lines. It is a transfer station between the Blue Line on the upper level and the Yellow Line on the lower level.
It is one of the busiest stations on the network, servi ...
References
External links
Official Website for Chennai Metro Rail Limited
{{Transport in Chennai
Chennai Metro stations
Chennai Central railway station
Railway stations in Chennai