Chennai Metro New Headquarters: You Need to Know
On the day 27th of October 2022, the 8th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin inaugurated the newly constructed headquarters building of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) next to the Nandanam metro station on Anna Salai or Mount road. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri joined the chief minister at the inauguration. Headquarters is shifted on the same day from the former head office located in Koyembedu. The new head office had spread over 8.96 acres of land with a total built-up area of 3.90 lakh square feet. The complex includes an administrative building, residential quarters and rental spaces for private agencies. The total cost of the project is estimated ₹365 crores.
Chennai metro considered to be India’s 3rd longest metro is now building its new headquarters. The first phase of the Chennai metro rail come live to the people of Chennai in the year 2015. In the first phase, the Chennai metro runs 2 lines from Wimco Nagar to Chennai International Airport. On the other hand, the second line from Chennai Central to St.Thomas Mount. Currently, both the lines have functioned from the headquarters at Koyambedu, Chennai by CMRL – Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.
Chennai Metro Phase 2
Chennai Metro planned to construct phase 2 with 3 lines at the cost of ₹61,000 crores. Consequently, laid the foundation stone in November 2020. Subsequently, Phase 2 began construction in the year 2021. Meanwhile, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd has a proposal to extend the phase 1 blue line (Wimco Nagar to Chennai International Airport). And also an Extension to the Newly constructing Kilambakkam Bus Terminus in Vandalur for an additional 15 kilometres of the stretch. Bus terminus located next to the Aringar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur Zoo).
Expanding Metro
After the completion of phase 2, CMRL does expect to control five metro rail lines. Lines have 164 metro stations with a total running length of 173 km, from the previous length of 54.15 km having 42 metro stations. Chennai Corporation through CMDA – Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority funding Chennai central square project handed it to Chennai Metro Rail Ltd to develop the Central Square. When operating requirements keep expanding, the space required to handle them expands.
Insufficient Metro Head Office Space
Koyambedu office built with a total area of 2 acres, but metro officials think they need a bigger space. For instance, the current head office of the CMRL at Koyambedu won’t be sufficient in the future. CMRL wanted to keep their working staff at one central point. Altogether they decided to build a new headquarters with staff quarters in a location with a total area of 8 acres.
Chennai Metro New Head Quarters
The new head office is going to be a function from Nandanam, Anna Salai next to Nandanam metro station. This land where the new office emerged once used to be Poultry Research Centre managed by Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. C.R. Narayana Rao Architects is the consultant for the new CMRL head office building. The building is going to be a basement + ground + 12 floors structure. Previously, it was given the approval to build up to 9 floors, now CMDA is authorised to build up to 12 floors accordingly construction is going on. The New Chennai Metro Rail Ltd headquarters planned as a Gold-rated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified green building. Specifically, the building has constructed as highly efficient in energy, cost-saving, water-efficient and high in indoor environmental quality.
Metro Bhavan
The new CMRL head office was expected to complete the construction by November or December of the year 2021. But it had delayed 10 months from the previous schedule. The building has built grander than the Koyambedu head office, it houses complete facilities for the Chennai metro functions including staff housing. Officials say it had fulfilled the expectation. CMRL calls it “Metro Bhavan”.
Map showing New CMRL Headquarters
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A complete description about new cmrl headquarters. Great article.
Yes. But what’s the need of new headquarters. Why they can’t expand the old HQ in koyembedu?
As I said above, the present HQ was built on 2 acres which is insufficient. Thus, a new HQ building developing on 8 acres.
Chennai Infrastructures developing in a positive way.