The proposed elevated St Thomas Mount Metro Rail station, which is to come up on a 10-acre site, would be designed as a ‘signature station' and would integrate five modes of public transport – suburban railway, Southern Railway, Metro Rail, MRTS and public buses – at various levels.
It will accommodate 18,000 to 20,000 foot falls per hour and have 1,200 equivalent car space for parking, said V.Vishwanath, Principal Architect Vishwannath Associates, who were commissioned last year by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the prime consultants to Chennai Metro Rail, to design both the St.Thomas Mount and the Chennai airport stations.
This transit station would be one of the few to have an exclusive commercial space spread over two floors integrated within it.
“The property development at the St.Thomas Mount station would pay back the entire construction cost within six years,” he added.
The Chennai airport station, designed like an entry gate to the airport, will connect with the subway at the Tirusulam suburban station at the basement and with the proposed travelator at the new airport terminal at an elevated level.
The tendering process was on for construction of other elevated stations.
The locations of St.Thomas Mount and airport stations were still under discussion. The construction of two Metro Rail corridors running to a total length of 45 km was inaugurated in June 2009.
The project is expected to be completed in 2015.
