CMRL to Move Ahead with 28-km Metro Extension from Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will proceed with the proposed 27.9-km metro extension connecting Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram despite the state government dropping the greenfield airport project at Parandur, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The Rs 8,779-crore project comprises 14 elevated stations and forms the first phase of the originally conceived Poonamallee-Parandur metro corridor. Officials noted that the Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram stretch is being developed independently to serve existing and projected commuter traffic across Chennai's western suburbs and the Sriperumbudur industrial corridor.

A subsequent second phase running from Sunguvarchatram to Parandur will be evaluated at a later stage based on future passenger volume.

To facilitate initial development, the state government has already sanctioned Rs 2,126 crore for preparatory activities, covering surveys, roadworks, and land acquisition along the planned alignment. Out of this sanctioned amount, Rs 1,836 crore has been set aside specifically for land acquisition and compensation for existing structures.

The 27.9-km corridor is currently awaiting formal approval from the union government. Two other metro proposals are also pending central clearance: the 21.76-km corridor between Koyambedu and Pattabiram, and the 15.5-km phase-one extension linking the Chennai airport to the Kilambakkam bus terminus.

In addition, a 5.9-km section of the metro route between Poonamallee and Sriperumbudur is planned to be integrated directly with an elevated highway corridor being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).