Second phase of safety audit limited to five stations

Chennai:

Chennai’s wait to get the final approval of Commissioner of Rail
Safety (CRS) is likely to get longer with the second phase of two-day
safety audit being limited to five stations.



Commissioner of Rail Safety (CRS) S K Mittal, who landed here on
Monday, inspected five stations and the Receiving Sub Station (RSS),
Operation Control Centre (OCC) and the Metro Rail Depot in Koyambedu.



During the first day he visited Koyambedu, CMBT, Arumbakkam,
Vadapalani and Ashok Nagar stations. He checked the platforms,
viaduct, stations and the overhead wires.



Interestingly, he restricted his visit to the five stations on Monday
and on Tuesday he visited Receiving Sub Station, Operation Control
Centre and Chennai Metro Rail depot. The safety audit for Alandur and
Ekatuthangal would be conducted at a later date, a Metro rail
spokesman said.





Mittal also took the Metro Train from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar Metro
station. Interestingly, Mittal is also in town for a function at
southern railway. Officials did not disclose where the event is being
held.



The metrorail project, which has been going on for more than five
years, has been facing a issue with the deadline with Metro man E
Sreedharan terming the project as being shoddily implemented.



Interestingly, officials are not committing on whether there will be
any further phase of inspections for getting the clearance. A metro
rail source told Express that the completion of safety audit would
take more time. Earlier, Metro rail officials had said that they
wanted the safety audit to be over by the end of the month.



“Even if it gets over by the end of the month or by the first or
second week of May, the state has to give dates for inauguration
besides fix the fare for metro between Koyambedu to Alandur stretch,”
said a source.



Interestingly, even the underground stretch work between Koyambedu and
Egmore station is progressing slowly. The tunnels between Nehru Park
to Kilapuk Medical College is yet to get over. “We are in the final
stages and it would soon be completed,” a Metro Rail source said.