Sri City likely to roll out first metro train by Feb next year

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The first Chennai Metro train that is being built in metro rail coach making facility at Sri City Special economic Zone near Tada in Nellore district will be rolled out by February next year, according to a senior metro rail official.

A general consultant of the metro rail told Express that eight more metro trains that are now being manufactured in Brazil will be shipped in pairs while 33 will be manufactured in Sri city. “The first roll out is expected by February,” he said.

The rail cars will be produced with an indigenisation level of around 35 per cent. It is believed the site design and construction of the plant is based on technology shared from Alstom’s global manufacturing facilities as well as its major transport hub in Lapa in Brazil from where the first metro train was rolled out.

It is believed Alstom facility is eying contracts from Bangalore Metro as well as Kochi and the third phase of Delhi metro.

The general consultant also said that the next pair of metro trains to be shipped from Brazil is expected to reach Chennai shores by the month end.

Meanwhile, the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Koyambedu depot, which is the nerve center of Chennai Metro Rail, is likely to be completed in the next four to six months, according to a top metro rail official.

The Operations Control center in Koyambedu will be monitoring all the trains of Chennai Metro Rail, including the elevated and underground stretch and passing on valuable information to the stationmaster as well as train operator.

Another senior metro rail official said that OCC could track passengers at all times through surveillance cameras and station control rooms in each station. This will provide deterrence against crime, especially crimes against women.

It will also be in touch with the train operator through a wireless radio. “Even the lifts and elevators are monitored through OCC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chennai Metro Rail will be allotting the three tenders to execute the work on stretch between Officers Training Academy and Chennai Airport in the next 10 days. The three packages worth Rs 200 to Rs 250 crore were opened on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The work on this stretch came to a standstill after metro rail terminated the contract of Lanco Infratech Limited, which was carrying out works in the stretch.

The total Chennai Metro Rail project costs Rs 14,600 crore and the state and center is providing 15 per cent each. K Prabhakaran, general manager (finance), Chennai Metro Rail said that state is providing Rs 2,190 crore besides Rs 844 crore as subordinate debit for land acquisition purpose.

Similarly, the Centre is also providing Rs 2,190 crore besides Rs 730 crore as subordinate debit for taxes. Japan International Cooperation Agency is providing a loan of 8,646 crore on an interest of 1.40 per annum.

The metro rail services will be operated on two routes, Washermanpet-Airport (23.085 km) and the Chennai Central-St Thomas Mount stretch, covering over 21 km.