Arignar Anna Alandur metro station
Arignar Anna Alandur Metro Station 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 one of the two metro stations where the two lines intersect, the other being the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro. It is the city's first multi-level railway station.[2] It is the only station where passengers from the two corridors can swap the direction of travel.[3] On 31 July 2020, It has been named by Government of Tamil Nadu as Arignar Anna Alandur Metro to honor the DMK founder and the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu C. N. Annadurai.[4]
The station
As the station acts as a transit point for two different corridors of the Chennai Metro, the two lines are constructed at two different levels at the station—the first one serving the line from Guindy towards Officers Training Academy (OTA) and Chennai International Airport and the second one for the line from St. Thomas Mount towards Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.R Bus Terminus.[5] The two levels are being built at 26.55 m and 35.41 m within the station, connected by means of escalators.[2] Each levels will have two access points for entry and exit.[5] A mezzanine floor—an intermediate level between ground floor and level I—is being built to be utilised for maintenance purpose.[2]
A total of eight elevators will function at the station—four connecting the ground floor with level I and another four, along with four escalators, connecting level I with level II. The station will have 10 ticket counters apart from 18 automatic ticket-vending machines (ATVMs).[2]
The station will have four access points on the ground floor—two for entry/exit from the front and two more on the rear. Ticket counters, one at either side of the lobby, are located past the access points. Crossing the lobby, passengers can move on to level I using any of the eight escalators and four lifts.[3]
Level I is the alighting point for those travelling on the Guindy–OTA–Airport route. From this level, there are four escalators and lifts leading to level II, from where passengers bound for the Koyambedu–SIDCO–St. Thomas Mount route can embark.[3]
The station will also have disabled-friendly facilities, including separate escalators and entry ramps.[2]
The station is one of the few in the corridor that will have parking facilities.[6]
Receiving sub-station
A 230-kV receiving substation (RSS) is being built by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board near the station for CMRL project. TNEB would supply 110 kV power from nearby TNEB substation (being built by TNEB) to the RSS, which will be stepped down to 33 kV and 25 kv by two transformers. The station is one of the three stations in the Chennai Metro Rail network to have a 230-kV receiving sub-station for power supply from the state's electricity grid, the other two being Koyambedu and Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro.[7]
Supporting facilities
The Cantonment Board has decided to set up three AC bus shelters at Asar Ghana junction near the metro station, which would become an intermodal transport hub. Each shelter will be spread over 370 sq ft with a seating capacity of 32 passengers and standing capacity of 45. Other facilities at the shelters would include ATM, CCTV, security guards, public urinals, drinking water, coffee vending machines and announcements about bus arrivals. Commuters will be able to see a bus coming from 500 metres on an LCD screen in the shelter. This would be the first of AC bus shelters in Chennai. The shelters would come up under a PPP model at an estimated cost of ₹ 12.5 million, which would be constructed and maintained for five years by a private firm, after which it will hand over the shelters to the board. The firm's revenue generation would be through advertisements in the shelter.[8]
In May 2018, CMRL began construction of foot overbridge at the station at a cost of ₹ 90 million and is expected to be completed in eight months.[1]
Commercial hub
Arignar Anna Alandur metro station is one of the five stations in the first phase of the Chennai Metro project identified to be converted into commercial hubs, the others being Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J. Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro, Arumbakkam, Ekkattuthangal, and Ashok Nagar. A 118,000 sq ft building with a basement and stilt floor for car park is planned behind the station.[9]
References
- Sekar, Sunitha (23 May 2018). "Construction of foot overbridge begins at Alandur Metro station". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Karthikeyan, K. (14 April 2012). "Designed for excellence: Alandur to become prime metro station". The Deccan Chronicle. Chennai: Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- Raja Simhan, T. E. (4 May 2012). "Multi-level Metro rail corridor structure coming up at Alandur". Business Line. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- "Tamil Nadu government to rename three metro rail stations in Chennai after late Chief Ministers". The New Indian Express. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "ஆலந்தூரில் பிரமாண்ட மெட்ரோ ரயில் நிலையம்". Chennai Online (in Tamil). Chennai. 14 April 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- "Single train trip to equal 16 buses, 300 cars and 600 bikes". The Hindu. Chennai. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- "Metro rail sets up units to power trains, stations to meet year-end deadline to start services". The Times of India. Chennai. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- Mathew Philip, Christin (17 September 2014). "3 AC bus shelters planned near Alandur metro station". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- TNN (23 September 2014). "In less than a year, you can park, shop and ride at metro rail stations". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
External links
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