Chennai: Tirusulam-airport link in limbo, passengers suffer

CHENNAI: The city airport is perhaps the only one in the country that can be accessed through suburban trains, metro rail and buses, but the intermodal link has not taken off barring a metro rail line and a station linked to the terminals through a tube.
A 2011 plan, discussed among Southern Railway, Airports Authority of India and metro rail, envisaged extending the subway from GST Road to metro rail station or having an integrated passage for passengers. New domestic and international terminals opened in 2013 and metro rail services began in 2015 but the Tirusulam suburban railway station-terminal link was forgotten.
With suburban services not open, the subway now presents a picture of neglect, with the lift not working and wooden debris dumped in front of the door.
T K Pandian, a frequent traveller, said people getting off trains at the station struggle to reach the airport. “The subway is often dark and has water on the floor. Outside the subway, there is no dedicated pathway where flyers can roll their trolley bags and they need to cross traffic inside the airport.”