Chennai's Second Airport: Poonamallee-Parandur Metro Corridor To Boost Connectivity

As the plans for Chennai's second airport in Parandur are being expedited, the Tamil Nadu State government has recently held a high-level meeting to discuss the establishment of the Poonamallee-Parandur Metro Rail corridor. This initiative aims to address the commuting challenges for passengers travelling to the new airport, which is situated approximately 60 km from the existing Chennai airport.

The Parandur airport project, announced in 2022 and estimated to cost Rs 32,704.92 crore, has raised concerns not only about environmental impacts but also about the difficulty of passenger access due to its location in the Kancheepuram district. To mitigate these issues, the Stalin government has decided to expand the Chennai Metro Rail's phase II project to include connectivity to the Parandur airport site, according to a report in The Hindu.

The detailed feasibility report for the metro extension has been approved, and the preparation of the detailed project report is currently underway. "We are considering multiple route options now. Initially, the plan was to connect Poonamallee with Parandur. However, we are also evaluating routes from the existing Chennai airport metro station to Parandur and from Koyambedu to Parandur. The consultant preparing the detailed project report will study these routes and recommend the best option," the daily quoted a source as saying.

While the State government is eager to develop this corridor, funding remains a significant challenge. "Phase II of the Metro project has not received any financial support from the Union government. The State government has been bearing the costs along with loans, which has created financial difficulties. We hope to propose this project to the Union government for equity-sharing support," the source added.

Linking the existing Chennai airport with the new Parandur airport via the metro corridor is expected to facilitate easier travel for passengers and improve transit connectivity once both airports are operational, sources noted.