CURRENT AFFAIRS IN BUSINESS

CHENNAI METRO RAIL

By: C.M.MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ZEESHAN ELLIAS FAIYAZ AHAMED KHAN

IntroductionThe Chennai Metro (Tamil: ) is a rapid transit system in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The Phase I of the project consisting of two corridors is under construction. The elevated section of the project is scheduled to be operational by 2013 and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by the financial year 2014-2015. About 55% of the corridors in Phase I is underground and the remaining elevated.

Background Chennai is the 3rd largest metropolitan city in India. Based on all these industrial and technological advancements, urban population has risen rapidly, requiring need for faster and safer transportation at all times. The city already has multiple modes of transportation. A bus system is run by the Chennai MTC and is augmented by the Chennai suburban railway network run by the Southern Railway. In addition to this, the Chennai Corporation has also implemented the Chennai MRTS project, an elevated railway system was sanctioned in 1984 to ease congestion in central Chennai. However, traffic congestion was still a big problem for both the citizens as well as the City's governing body. Hence, the Chennai Corporation has decided to implement the Chennai Metro project which will be another alternate transportation mode to a metropolis like Chennai.

Construction pictures

HistoryAfter the success of the Delhi metro, a similar system was mooted for the city of Chennai by E. Sreedharan of the DMRC to the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalitha. The plan was later dropped in favour of a highly ambitious monorail network, spread over the whole city. After being voted out of power soon after, the new CM M. Karunanidhi revived the metro rail project to life once again. The Metro rail project was included in the 2007-08 State Government's budget, and an amount of 50 crores had been sanctioned for preliminary works which included a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be prepared by the DMRCRail Project. The approval for the project was finally given by the state cabinet on 7 November 2007 and is to be executed by a Special purpose vehicle, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).

Master Plan prepared by DMRC A Total of 7 lines have been planned by the DMRC for Chennai Metro Rail Project.Line Termini Opening Date Length (km) Underground Underground (km) stations Elevated stations Interchange

Line 1

Tiruvottiyur

Chennai International Airport St. Thomas Mount Tiruvanmiyur Kamarajar Salai Ring Road Kilpauk Medical College Along NH5 Road

2014

32.1

14.3

11

6

Suburban, MR TS, 2

Line 2

Chennai Central

2013

22

9.7

9

8

Suburban, MR TS, 1 4, MRTS 3

Line 3 Line 4 Line 5

Mogappair Porur Ring Road Radhakrishnan Salai Along NH5 Road

Line 6

2

Line 7

Corridors proposed in CTS Two corridors have been proposed in the comprehensive transportation study recently submitted by Wilbur Smith Associates. Corridor 1: Medavakkam St. Thomas Mount Corridor 2: Madhavaram Lighthouse via Radhakrishnan Salai Corridors proposed by CMRL A metro line from Thiruvanmiyur Kottivakkam and beyond via ECR has been proposed by CMRL in the steering committee meeting of the department of Highways and Minor Ports. But it has been decided to defer it for present and take it up later. This was proposed as an alternate for the East Coast Elevated Expressway Projects in Study A project study would be taken up to establish links between Moolakadai-Thirumangalam, Moolakadai--Thiruvanmiyur and Luz--Poonamallee throughIyyappanthangal.http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article1 078733.ece

Proposed MRTS take-over by CMRL The MRTS, operated by Southern Railway, is proposed to be taken over by the CMRL thereby bringing all the elevated tracks and underground tracks inside the city under one organization. The Chennai MRTS is a very poorly executed project and is a loss making enterprise at present. After the merger, it is proposed to replace the current Electric Multiple Units in the Mass Rapid Transit System with air-conditioned coaches with automatic doors. Phase I According to the Detailed project report submitted by the DMRC, there are two lines planned: Undergro UndergroLine Termini Opening Date Length (km) und (km) und stations Elevated stations Rakes # of Coaches

Interchan ge

Line 1

Chennai Washerm Internatio 2014 nal anpet Airport

23.1

14.3

11

6

23

92

Suburban, MRTS, 2

Line 1 Wimco Extension Nagar

Washerm 2015 anpet

9

2.3

1

6

North, We st North, We st South

Line 2

Chennai Central

St. Thomas Mount

2013

22

9.7

9

8

23

92

Suburban, MRTS, 1

Construction The construction started on 10 June 2009 with the piling work for the elevated viaduct between Koyambedu and Ashok Nagar strech. Complete construction is expected to be fully completed by February 2015. The first section to be opened will be on Line 2 between Koyambedu and St. Thomas Mount and this stretch would be in operation by 2013. Contracts Awarded so far for construction

Construction pictures

S.No

Name of the Firm

Date of Award

Contract Value (Crores)

Details Design and construction of elevated viaduct from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar Design and construction of elevated viaduct including viaduct at stations from Ashok Nagar to St. Thomas Mount Design and construction of elevated viaduct including viaduct at stations from Saidapet to Officers Training Academy(OTA). Prefilling of Koyambedu Depot Design and construction of five elevated stations Koyambedu, CMBT, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani and Ashok Nagar/K.K.Nagar Design and construction of five elevated stations - Little Mount, Guindy, Alandur, OTA and SIDCO Design, Manufacture, Supply, Testing and Commissioning of Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) and

1

Soma Enterprise Limited (SEL) Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) Tantia Construction Limited (TCL)Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited (CCCL) Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited (CCCL)

13.02.09

194.20

2

12.01.2010

141.13

3

25.01.2010

173.30

4

19.04.10

20.52

5

22.06.10

139.54

6

22.06.10

94.99

7

Alstom Transport S.A & Alstom Projects

02.08.10

1471.38

Fare Structure (2013 - 2014)Distance (km) 0-2 2-4 4-6 6-9 9 - 12 12 - 15 15 - 18 18 - 21 21 - 24 24 - 27 >27 8.00 10.00 11.00 14.00 15.00 17.00 18.00 19.00 20.00 22.00 23.00 Metro Fare ()

Phase II Three lines covering a distance of 63 km[20] have been proposed in Phase II. Detailed project report is to be prepared in a year.[21][22][23] [edit]Line 3 [19 km] Moolakadai Perambur Kilpauk Thousand Lights Mylapore Thiruvanmiyur-velachery [edit]Line 4 [22 km] Moolakadai Redhills Ambattur Mogappair Thirumangalam [edit]Line 5 [22 km] Mylapore Luz Teynampet T Nagar Vadapalani Saligramam Iyyapanthangal Poonamallee

Construction picture

2008 16 April: Planning commission gives in-principle approval for the project 21 November: Deal signed with Japan Banking Corporation for procuring 59% loan at Tokyo. 2009 20 January: Tenders floated for Phase I of the Metro project; winning bidder yet to be announced, work to commence in the end of February or beginning of March. 29 January: Chennai Metro becomes one of the fastest projects to get approval from the Economic Ministry, signed for commencement by officiating Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. 19 February: The Hyderabad-based Soma Enterprise Ltd has been awarded a INR 199.2-crore (INR 1.99 billion) contract in the Chennai Metro Rail Project, marking the start of the work on the project. It has begun construction on the 4.5 km stretch elevated viaduct along the IRR (Inner Ring Road) between Koyambedu and Ashok Nagar. It does not include stations as it would be tendered separately.

2010 11 January: Pre-qualification tenders invited for power supply system and overhead equipment (design and build). Invite for bids are expected around May 2010. 28 January: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) bags the contract for 9.73 elevated viaducts from Corridor 1 from Saidapet till OTA (5.17 km @ INR 173.30 crores) and for Corridor 2 from Ashok Nagar till St.Thomas Mount (4.56 km @ INR 141.13 crores) valued together at INR 314.43 crores. 12 February: Tenders invited for 10 elevated stations and an integrated viaduct-flyover @ vadapalani. 12 March: Tender invited for Koyambedu Depot pre-filling and two PQs invited for Telecom, Platform Screen Doors & Signalling and Lifts & Escalators. 29 March: Chennai Metro Project Phase II receives INR 2,932.6 Crores loan agreement from Japan. Finance Ministry of India signs agreement with Japanese Ambassador to India Hideaki Domichi. 19 April: Tender for pre-filling of Koyambedu depot has been awarded to Tantia Construction Limited. 22 June: Tenders for 10 elevated stations have been awarded. 5 stations in Koyambedu, CMBT, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani and Ashok Nagar/K.K Nagar as 1 package at a cost of 139.54 crores and another 5 in Little Mount, Guindy, Alandur, O.T.A., and SIDCO as another package at a cost of 94.99 crores have been awarded to Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited.

29 June: Works on Underground sections, underground stations, signaling and telecom, tracks, OHE, etc would begin before the end of 2010-2011 financial year. 2 August: Rolling stock tenders have been awarded to Alstom Transport S.A & Alstom Projects India Ltd consortium at a cost of INR 1471.3 crores. 42 train-sets of 4-car configuration (168 coaches) is to be procured. The first delivery of cars is expected to reach by end of 2012. The train sets will be equipped with airconditioned interiors, electrically operated automatic sliding doors, regenerative braking system. 19 August: Phase-I extension will have 2.3 km underground and 6.6 km elevated with 7 stations. 30 October: Metro rail extension to Tambaram would be considered. 2 November: Depot work for Phase I has been awarded to L&T.

Construction pictures

2011 21 Jan 2011:The Chennai Metro Rail has awarded the Rs 449.22-crore contract for design and construction of track works to a joint venture of L&T and Alstom. 21 Jan 2011: The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) on Tuesday awarded a contract worth Rs.198 crore for the supply of lifts and escalators to a joint venture of Johnson Lifts Pvt. Limited and SJEC Corporation (China). 1 Feb 2011: Transtonnelstroy-AFCONS JV bags, two project contracts UAA01 and UAA05 - with value of Rs 1,567 crore and Rs 1,031 crore respectively, A Major Contractor in CHENNAI METRO. 1 Feb 2011: A joint venture of city-based Metro Tunnelling and L&T SUCG bagged the Rs 705.75-crore contract to design and build three underground stations and associated tunnels from Nehru Park to Pachaiyappa's College. 2 Feb 2011: OJSC MosMetrostroy-Gammon India JV has been awarded two underground packages UAA-02 and UAA-03 for a value of INR 932.88 crore and INR 1,047.42 crore to construct UG stations and connecting UG tunnels. 22 Feb 2011:Chennai Metro Rail Ltd has awarded contract for Power supply and Overhead Electrification (OHE) to Siemens AG of Germany and Siemens Ltd India Consortium for Rs 305 crore.

CURRENT NEWS: Chennai: The Rs 14,600 crore Metro Rail project being constructed across the city would be completed by 2015, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Tuesday. "The work for providing a metro rail for Chennai is under implementation. The first phase of the project will cover a distance of 45.1 kms, of which 24 km will be underground...", he said after inaugurating the CII Seminar "Chennai 2020". He also referred to the government decision to extend the project by another 22 km and said nine more stations would be constructed in this phase. Stalin said the Airports Authority of India was executing a constructing domestic, international and a secondary runway at Chennai Airport to cater to expected huge increase in passenger and cargo traffic by 2020. "Passenger traffic at Chennai airport is expected to touch 27.6 million tons and cargo traffic 10.4 lakh tons by 2020," he said.