Tamil Nadu state budget for 2014-15 has set aside Rs. 200 crore for monorail system in Chennai city. “In pursuance of our commitment to establish a multi-modal transport system in Chennai City, the Mono Rail project has been restructured to make it more viable,” said O.Panneerselvam, Minister for Finance and Public Works in his budget speech.
A revised plan has been issued by Metropolitan Transport Corporation Chennai for the elevated monorail mass rapid transit system project, which will come up in Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Under the revised route plan, which is at a slightly higher cost per km than earlier planned, the monorail project would be implemented on a stretch of 20.68 km from Poonamallee to Kathipara with a link from Porur to Vadaplani, along Arcot road. The project is estimated to cost Rs.3,235 crore, which is approx Rs.156.43 crore per km.
As per the revised plan, the 20.68 km stretch will be offered to private companies, which will develop it under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The nodal agency, Metropolitan Transport Corporation Chennai, has invited RfQs from private companies in order to qualify them for the pre-bid stage.
The project, being implemented on DBFOT basis, will have no financial commitment on the part of the state government. But, the state has decided to approach the Japan International Cooperation Agency to fund the 23-km long Vandalur-Velachery stretch. As per a conservative estimate, the cost of Vandalur-Velachery corridor would be around Rs.4,000 crore. As for the Poonamallee-Kathipara corridor, it is for the project developer to raise funds.
In the earlier plan, four corridors were planned for the monorail project which included Poonamallee-Vadapalani, Vandalur-Velachery, Poonamallee-Kathipara junction and Vandalur-Puzhal. However, the state government later dropped the Vandalur-Puzhal via Avadi (54 km) corridor, as it was passing through areas with little traffic. The authorities have merged the Poonamallee-Vadapalani and Poonamallee-Kathipara to one corridor, Poonamallee-Kathipara. The estimated cost of the Poonamallee-Kathipara corridor has also been reduced to Rs.3,235 crore, against Rs.8,000 crore earlier.
The project was planned to be implemented in various phases. Phase-I of project, stretching 111 km, was expected to be implemented at a cost of Rs.16,650 crore or Rs.150 crore for each km.
The Tamil Nadu Government in order to reduce traffic congestion and to increase the share of public transport in the urban transport network has introduced the monorail project under the MRTS. The aim is to increase the share of public transport in Chennai from 27 per cent to 46 per cent by 2026.
