Too Good to Last
It was too good to last. Just when we thought the Chennai Metrorail had not gone the way of the MRTS when it comes to station design, it transpires that the same blunder is going to be repeated. A news report has it that as far as the ongoing Phase II is concerned, CMRL stations are going to be planned on a giant scale, rather on the lines of what was done for MRTS. The logic for this too is identical. Will we never learn from past mistakes?
Towers Over Transit
As per The Hindu dated November 17, 2025, CMRL is planning to develop over 3,000,000 square feet of office and retail space at its Phase II stations. The report goes on to say that while huge towers will come up at Chennai Central, Mandaveli, Thousand Lights and Thirumangalam stations, CMRL will build additional floors for office and commercial use at Nungambakkam, Royapettah, Adyar depot and Tirumayilai. The usual reasons for developing commercial space are trotted out yet again.
Lessons from the MRTS
All very good on paper, no doubt. But CMRL would do well to think about what happened to the MRTS stations. These were developed as huge barn-like structures with vast spaces, justified by precisely the same arguments. Without exception, they ended up as failures. Not one shop or commercial entity was interested. One key reason was the low patronage of MRTS owing to enormous construction delays and poor routing, which deterred commuters from using the service in the first place.
Maintenance and Misgivings
CMRL, with its faster delivery and more comprehensive coverage, can certainly hope for better utilisation of its retail space. But will it overcome the standard poor maintenance associated with government-run facilities? In case the stations do become commercial successes, it would truly be a feather in the government’s cap. But if they fail, enormous issues of safety and upkeep will arise in such unoccupied spaces, as history has already shown us.
A Question of Capacity
CMRL would also do well to consider that the government has announced higher FSI—up to five times—for all properties within 500 metres of metro stations. This will mean that a great deal of real estate will turn commercial and be offered for rent or sale. Does Chennai have the wherewithal to absorb so much new capacity in the commercial or residential market, especially at a time when industrial growth within the city has been limited?
What Worked in Phase I
One of the key reasons behind the success of Phase I stations was their sheer manageability. There was little commute between entry and concourse, and the smaller spaces ensured excellent maintenance and lighting. There has also been much praise for the fact that these stations do not intrude upon their surroundings and, being of low height, blend beautifully with their neighbourhoods. This is particularly important in areas that contain several heritage buildings.
Heritage at Risk
If monstrosities are to come up in places like Thousand Lights, Nungambakkam and Tirumayilai, there is every likelihood that heritage structures in these localities will be dwarfed. While this may not be a prime consideration when commercial development beckons, it is nonetheless necessary to keep such concerns in mind when planning for the future. Urban infrastructure cannot be built in isolation from the city’s history and architectural context.
This article appeared in Madras Musings–https://madrasmusings.com/vol-35-no-16/chennai-metro-loses-its-head-on-stations/
My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-http://- https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/
