CMRL launches longest metro station under Phase-II
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has started construction work on the Light House station, which is not just the first shallow underground station designed with a platform on the first level and a mini-concourse on the second, but is also going to be the longest station of phase 2 being built over 300 m. On commissioning, passengers will go to level 2 to get a ticket and then come up to level one to board the train as it is an important terminal station for the stretch between Light House and Poonamallee. Travelers from across the city will have easy and quick access to Marina beach. CMRL has already secured the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearances. In this location, unlike in other stations, where passengers will go as deep as 20 m, the maximum depth will be 15 m. Also, the concourse is coming up on the second level and the platform on the first level, whose depth will be about 12 m. This is because they did not want to use the tunnel boring machines below the 12-m mark. While one entry and exit will be near Queen Mary’s College, another will be constructed near Light House, and the space will be small, just about 70-80 m long, resembling a subway. The entry and exit structures of the station will be designed aesthetically to give a view of the beach as well. While the platform itself will be 140 m, the station length totals to around 300 m because it has to accommodate facilities like stabling and crossover, said an official spokesperson.
