Metro to Soar at Sholinganallur: Trains to Run on 6th Floor Through Commercial Buildings

In a bold feat of urban transit engineering, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has confirmed that metro trains on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) will run through the sixth floors of commercial buildings, with the upcoming Sholinganallur station emerging as a crucial multi-level interchange.

The 35-metre-tall Sholinganallur station will integrate Corridor 3 (Madhavaram–SIPCOT) at the lower level and Corridor 5 (Madhavaram–Sholinganallur) stacked above. With four entry and exit points, the station will serve as a key node where Corridor 5 trains will descend to Corridor 3, enabling seamless interchange. “This will be the connecting point for both corridors,” confirmed CMRL project director T Archunan.

A large commercial block is also planned on an adjacent land parcel towards Elcot-ECR, which will be rented out for retail and commercial activity, adding revenue potential for CMRL. Currently, demolition works are underway on all four corners of the Sholinganallur junction to accommodate the ambitious structure.

Thoraipakkam will adopt a similar model on a smaller scale, where elevated viaducts will cut through buildings, linked by sky bridges that connect platforms and floors. These spaces will also be rented for office and retail use, signaling a shift in CMRL’s station design approach.

Beyond these two hubs, CMRL is redesigning access points at seven other OMR stations Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Okkiyampet, Karapakkam, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam, Kadanchavadi, and PTC Colony. Unlike earlier elevated stations with entry points directly on footpaths, the dense and traffic-heavy nature of OMR prompted CMRL to acquire separate land parcels to construct entry/exit structures away from main pedestrian zones.

This redesign has pushed the cost of these eight stations to ₹300 crore up from the standard ₹20–25 crore per station. “It’s a significant cost increase, but necessary to ensure long-term commuter safety and smoother passenger flow,” said Archunan.

With this, CMRL is redefining the metro experience merging transport and commercial infrastructure in one vertical footprint.