Chennai: The city is only months away from joining the league of cities that have a sophisticated metro rail system in the country. By August this year, the metro train will be partially put on trial between Koyambedu and St Thomas Mount.
A full-length four-car metro train with a functional signal system will be test run by the end of November. Senior officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited told this paper under condition of anonymity that the first passenger service of the CMRL project on Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount stretch would tentatively begin by March-end or early April 2014.
Metro rail trial run in Aug.
Chennaiites will get to see the city’s first-ever metro train whiz past on the arterial 100 ft road between Koyambedu and St Thomas Mount in a few months.
Senior CMRL (Chennai Metro Rail Limited) sources told DC that the front car comprising the engine would first be put on trial on the elevated corridor late August or early September.
The front car will arrive from Brazil in May and some equipment would be fitted to it in a month from then, sources added. The remaining three cars or coaches of the first train would arrive by August and a full length metro train comprising four cars would be put on trial by September-end, sources added.
Construction of metro stations on Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount stretch would be completed before June-end and the signal works, with control centres at the stations, would commence thereupon in July. Up to five months would be required to complete the signal system.
A four-car metro train would be put on trial by November-end or December, sources pointed out. The metro car would be run at least 10 times daily on the stretch. The first train would be put through 200 test runs before the year-end to prepare the wheels for regular run. The schedule has been designed in such a way that the first metro train would be commissioned in late March or early April 2014, CMRL sources said. However, the commissioning could be delayed up to two months owing to mishaps at metro sites.
Azar Khana to compete with Tambaram as MTC hub
The less-known Azar Khana, near Kathipara, is all set to emerge as an important stop for the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) on the southern city fringe, after Tambaram. MTC is studying the possibility of operating a huge fleet of buses from Azar Khana to all parts of the city after the commissioning of phase-I of metro rail, which would have its two corridors converge at Azar Khana.
The MRTS extension would terminate at nearby St Thomas Mount, less than a kilometre from Azar Khana, where the proposed monorail scheme station (destination point) would also come up.
MTC has launched a detailed study to identify the routes and quantify the passenger flow from here.
“With metro rail and MRTS networks converging close to Azar Khana, we plan to develop it as a hub to support the mobility of passengers using both rail services,” said a transport official, adding that priority would be accorded to link the adjoining areas to Azar Khana.
The official forecast better patronage once the proposed third corridor of monorail scheme (Poonamallee to Kathipara) gets commissioned. “We have initiated a detailed study to evaluate the passenger flow once all these networks start to function,” he said.
Though the MTC officials have already started studying the demand that would arise from Azar Khana, metro rail officials also keep coming up with ideas. “We will operate buses based only on our study; however, the suggestions by metro rail officials will also be incorporated in our plan of operations,” said the officials.
Asked about the common ticketing system for rail and bus, they said it might not happen in the near future.