Metro Rail: KNOW MORE It is essentially a rapid transit, underground/ FUTURE elevated/ subway system that seeks to ease under progress commute and save travel time in urban areas battling congestion. Delhi Metro, operational in the capital, is one of the most recent attempts in Rails from France, coaches from Brazil, tunnelling expertise from China, labour from eastern the country. The first ever Metro in India came India — all to give Chennai a world-class public transport system. MEERA SRINIVASAN takes a up in Kolkata in 1984. bird’s-eye view of the city’s metro rail network, expected to be operational by 2014 Why metro rail for Chennai? Rapid expansion of the city and growing traffic volume has resulted in large-scale congestion in the city. STATUS: Station structure Metro Rail seeks to provide commuters a fast, complete; track-laying in progress KOYAMBEDU WASHERMENPET reliable, convenient, efficient, modern, economical and integrated mode of public transport. The terminal point where, apart from a station, the Metro Rail depot is also coming up. At the 63-acre What is the estimated cost of the project? Who funds it? depot, space has been earmarked for parking coaches The estimated cost is Rs. 14,600 crore, including after the day's operations. A 6-floor admin building, escalation, Central taxes and interest during the period of construction, but excluding State taxes and nearly complete now, will house the main control value of vacant state government land. The Central room from where the entire 45-km stretch of Metro and State governments, together, are expected to This is the farthest the Metro line goes in the north of Chennai. This is an underground Rail can be monitored. contribute about 41% of the total cost. The rest will station and two Tunnel Boring Machines sit about 17 m below the ground here. The be met by a loan granted by Japan International Cooperation Agency. TBMs will cover about 10 m of the tunnel every day. MANNADI STATUS: Station work in progress; tunneling has begun What are the corridors in Phase-1 of the Chennai metro rail project? KILPAUK MEDICAL THIRUMANGALAM Two corridors with a combined length of 45 km — SHENOY HIGH COURT COLLEGE Corridor I (23.1 km) will run from Washermenpet to ANNA NAGAR ANNA NAGAR NAGAR TOWER EAST airport via Anna Salai and Corridor II (22 km) will run PACHAIYAPPA’S NEHRU PARK EGMORE CHENNAI from Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount via COLLEGE CENTRAL Koyambedu. The portions from Washermenpet to Saidapet on Anna Salai (Corridor I) and Chennai INSIDE THE METRO GOVERNMENT ESTATE Central to Thirumangalam (Corridor II) will be We zoom in on four crucial points on the Metro Rail underground. network where work is at different stages of completion LIC Decongesting arterial roads The two corridors were decided upon after detailed THOUSAND LIGHTS study of traffic density on Chennai roads. They cover three arterial roads in the city — Anna Salai, EVR Periyar Salai and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai. CMBT GEMINI DEADLINE ARUMBAKKAM CORRIDOR I UNDER GROUND- 2015 From the ELEVATED- 2nd half of 2014 WORK SITE VADAPALANI TEYNAMPET CORRIDOR II ELEVATED- 1st quarter of 2014 ASHOK NAGAR/ “I have come from Bihar, UNDER GROUND- 2015 KK NAGAR leaving behind my wife and CHAMIERS ROAD toddler son. It’s really SAIDAPET hard, but this is livelihood. SIDCO ALANDUR They say, a big Metro Rail network is coming up here. LITTLE MOUNT Bihar does not have Metro Rail now, but it will be GUINDY really nice if it comes up there, too”

OTA - Alok Kumar, 27 ST. THOMAS MOUNT “What does age have to do with labour? I can eat only as long as I find work to do. I have come all the way from MEENAMBAKKAM Bhabua in Kaimur district (Bihar) to earn a livelihood” CHENNAI AIRPORT - Siparsan Ram, 60

The two corridors of the Metro line will converge here. Passen- gers can switch from one route to the other at the two-layered station which spans an area of 150 m X 25 m. Trains from Washermenpet, heading southward via Anna Salai, will halt at The stretch along this station will have a three-pier design, with the Metro level one, and those from Koyambedu to St. Thomas Mount, will line being flanked by vehicular flyovers on either side. The elevated stretch stop at level two, at a height of nearly 20 m above the ground. (St. Thomas Mount-Koyambedu) on this corridor — running for 24 km — will be lit at night. Vadapalani and Arumbakkam are the two stations along the STATUS: 80% of station built; elevated corridor that will be at ground level. Vadapalani station will come track-laying to begin soon

up on a built-up area of about 10,000 sq. m. PHOTOS: R. RAGU ILLUSTRATION: SATWIK GADE STATUS: Station foundation work on; track-laying in progress INFOGRAPHIC: PRATHAP RAVISHANKAR

UNDERGROUND CIVIC UTILITIES (Measurements not to scale) CROSS-SECTION 1.5 m 0.5 m to 1.5 m 1 m to 2 m 1 m to 4 m (Bigger pipes can go deeper) Drainage line EB cable Telephone line

Water pipe CONCOURSE (up to 250 mm LEVEL diameter) 8 m

METRO VIDEOS LINE http://thne.ws/koyambedu-depot http://thne.ws/koyambedu-station KOYAMBEDU DEPOT WALK THROUGH KOYAMBEDU STATION WALK THROUGH 17 m