Kilambakkam Railway Station Set to Open in July, Relief for KCBT Commuters in Sight

After months of commuter woes at the Kilambakkam Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT), relief may soon be on the way. The Chennai Railway Division plans to commence operations at the upcoming Kilambakkam railway station in the first week of July.

Divisional Railway Manager B Vishwanath Eerya confirmed that one platform is ready, and work on the second will be completed within a month. “A temporary ticket counter will be set up, and train stoppages are expected from July. However, for public safety, the state must finish constructing the foot overbridge (FOB) before train operations begin,” he told TNIE.

The FOB is a crucial link, connecting the railway station to KCBT across the busy GST Road. The FOB project’s pedestrian skywalk is 450 metres long and will feature ascending and descending escalators, cutting out the need for commuters to walk across traffic-saturated streets.

Construction on the FOB had been halted because of land acquisition delays. However, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) confirmed that the long-pending issue involving 1.45 acres near the station has been resolved. Premier Leather Corporation, the landowner, recently submitted a No Objection Certificate (NOC), enabling the state to proceed with erecting the FOB pillars.

Construction was further delayed due to required design changes to align with guidelines from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). Southern Railway’s bridges wing has now approved the revised design, which awaits final government approval.

Meanwhile, Southern Railway has completed key infrastructure work to support the station’s operations. The third track at Kilambakkam was repositioned to accommodate an island platform. A new 400-metre track was laid, replacing the old line, enabling passengers to board trains from both sides of the platform.

With the station’s opening likely in July and work on the FOB progressing, Kilambakkam is poised to become a more accessible transit hub for Chennai’s southern commuters.