The news is out on the stations for Metro Rail. The good news is that these are promised and appear to be simple and aesthetic which, hopefully, means they will be unlike the MRTS stations which are all hideous and unnecessarily big. The bad news, however, is that most stations are unlikely to have parking facilities of any kind. They also will be the equivalent of several storeys in height and that means they are unlikely to be friendly for the physically disadvantaged and the aged. It is also likely that even the underground stations will have structures that will be above the ground. And there is complete silence on the appearance of stations that are likely to be near heritage buildings.

The Hynmer obelisk with the land cleared in front. Was this where the Powney Vault was? The Metro barricade just a foot away from the Law College’s heritage building.

While keeping in mind the necessity for simple and visually appealing designs, the Metro Rail has not chosen to talk about what the impact of such stations will be on the imme­diate neigh­bourhood. If the Bangalore Metro is anything to go by, the surrounding area will be a catchment for all the rubbish and refuse from the stations and also receive storm­water run-offs. What was once the upmarket side of MG Road has now changed beyond recogni­tion. Will this also be the fate of the localities where the Metro will run overhead in Chennai?

The plans for the under­ground stations are yet to be unveiled. But it appears that these too will have large overhead structures. This is totally unlike what has been put up in similar facilities in cities overseas. It is a complete mystery as to why underground train facilities have to be given space over the ground. It is into this category that the stations on Mount Road and NSC Bose Road will fall. And much depends, at least for the heritage structures in the vicinity, on how these stations will look like. Last heard, the Heritage Con­ser­vation Committee had made some protests on the way stations were being designed for these areas. Ducts and vents, it would seem, would block the façade of most of the buildings. It was reported that Metro Rail had, on receipt of the HCC’s feedback, promised to alter its design for underground stations. But as to what they were originally planned to look like and what they are being modified to now, both remain complete mysteries. A recent visit to the Law College area showed that the Metro Rail barriers were just a foot or so away from the buildings – heritage buildings, at that!

The unveiling of overhead station designs has also revealed that parking space is being provided only in a few stations. As for the rest, they will have to manage with pick and drop facilities only. Once again, it is the Bangalore Metro that comes to mind. The sight of traffic slowing down near the stations is almost a common one. And this is so even when only a part of the service is operational. Imagine what it will be like when the full service is in place. If the Metro in Chennai is meant to provide an alternative means of com­muting, it cannot overlook providing facilities to park vehicles in its vicinity. And it should also provide for interlinks with other forms of public transport. The current design does not show how a passenger can access bus services from any of the stations.

Unless these aspects are looked into, it is not clear as to how much a beneficial impact the Metro is likely to have on our city. Will it also wind up as another loss-making public transport facility like the MRTS, which operates in almost a world of its own? Time alone will tell.