The construction of the Thirumayilai metro station in Chennai, which is a critical interchange station linking corridor-3 Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri Sipcot with corridor-4 Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass, has been delayed due to its challenging design. The Thirumayilai station is expected to be the deepest metro station in the city at 35m depth, presenting an engineering challenge. The 118.1km phase-2 project is expected to be ready in stages from 2026 to 2028, and the stretches that will be ready by 2028 include Panagal Park metro to Thirumayilai metro on corridor-4, Thousand Lights metro to Thirumayilai metro, and Greenways Road metro to Thiruamyilai metro on corridor-3.
Chennai's core localities, including T Nagar, Nandanam, Mylapore, Mandaveli, Radhakrishnan Salai, Royapettah, and Thousand Lights, may have to wait until 2028 to receive metro rail services. The delay is primarily due to the challenging design of the Thirumayilai metro station, which serves as a key interchange linking corridor-3 (Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri Sipcot) with corridor-4 (Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass).
According to M A Siddique, the managing director of Chennai Metro Rail Limited, the construction of Thirumayilai metro station is particularly complex as it involves three levels. Consequently, the stretches leading to Thirumayilai will only be commissioned in 2028. The sections expected to be ready by that time include Panagal Park metro to Thirumayilai metro on corridor-4, Thousand Lights metro to Thirumayilai metro, and Greenways Road metro to Thiruamyilai metro on corridor-3.
Thirumayilai metro station presents an engineering challenge as it will be the deepest metro station in the city, reaching a depth of 35 meters. Construction will involve cutting through rocky soil. The station will have a unique T-shaped design spread across four levels, with four tunnels stacked on top of each other. It will cover an area of 4854.4 sqm beneath the Luz junction.
The station will offer five entry points across the junction to ensure easy access for commuters. Additionally, it will serve as a major multimodal hub, connecting Thirumayilai MRTS station, Luz bus stop, and Kapaleeshwarar temple, as mentioned in a CMRL release. Notably, in phase-1 of the metro construction, the Central metro station held the record for the deepest station at a depth of 30 meters.
Once Thirumayilai metro station and other linked stations on corridor-3 are operational in 2028, residents from areas like Madhavaram, Purasawalkam, and the IT corridor on OMR can enjoy direct train services to Mylapore. Thirumayilai metro will also facilitate seamless transfers between corridors, enabling commuters to reach Central, Egmore station, and the existing airport more conveniently. Furthermore, with the planned extension of corridor-4 to Parandur, travelers will be able to directly access Mylapore from the new airport at Parandur.
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