writingonblog uncensored: Post-integration MRTS commuters to pay five to sev...

writingonblog uncensored: Post-integration MRTS commuters to pay five to sev...: Chennai: Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) commuters get prepared to shell out more for the travel between Chennai Beach to Velachery onc...

Post-integration MRTS commuters to pay five to seven times more to avail rail services

Chennai:

Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) commuters get prepared to shell out more for the travel between Chennai Beach to Velachery once the rail network is integrated and merged with Chennai Metro.

The usual Rs 10 fare for travelling from Chennai Beach to Velachery is likely to come to an end with the merger of the rail network with Chennai Metro. It is learnt from sources that the fare could rise about five to seven times more.

While officials say it is too early to work out the fares, it will be same as what is being charged by Chennai Metro. This would mean, the minimum fare will now be Rs 10 and the maximum could go anywhere from Rs 50 to Rs 70.

Sources told Express that during a meeting held earlier this month on integration of MRTS and Chennai Metro Rail it was decided to enforce the Chennai Metro Rail fare structure once the merger takes place which is likely to take place by the end of next financial year.

Connecting the central business area of old Madras with the IT corridor, the section has a potential capacity of 425,000 passengers a day. The 15km alignment covers several significant landmarks of the city and currently has 18 stations. The Phase II extension of 5km when completed will add three more stations linking the Chennai Metro corridors with MRTS and suburban rail network. Currently, the state government is trying to settle the legal issues to realize the project soon.

It is also learnt that the consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers and Barsyl has been asked to make projections on the revenue after takeover based on previous data.

Sources also told Express that the lands procured for Phase I of MRTS project by the state government will also be included in the project cost while arriving at a final contribution of state government and Indian Railways.

Similarly, the cost of the Phase II extension will also be factored in. The initial cost of the project was Rs 605 crore but now the cost has escalated to Rs 919 crore due to land acquisition as well as the railway stations have to undergo fresh finishing works. The costs currently estimated for Phase II extension are only estimated costs which are likely to be revised, sources added.

 Meanwhile, MRTS will also have a separate operation and maintenance and disaster management systems which may be similar to Chennai Metro Rail. This will be done gradually, sources added

writingonblog uncensored: Russia seeks to regularize unauthorised consular b...

writingonblog uncensored: Russia seeks to regularize unauthorised consular b...: C Shivakumar @ Chennai: Russian Consulate is seeking Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) approval to regularize its existin...

Russia seeks to regularize unauthorised consular building in Chennai

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

Russian Consulate is seeking Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) approval to regularize its existing building which is built violating development regulations.

According to sources in CMDA, Russian Consulate General has approached CMDA to relax land use and development regulations for the existing building as well as building proposed to be constructed near the existing block in Santhome High Road.

It is learnt that a Committee of senior officers (CSO) had considered to relax development regulations for the existing building since it was in existence for a long time.

However, for the proposed construction which include additional blocks, parking canopies and swimming pool, CMDA has insisted that Russian Consul General complies with the development regulations under Second Master Plan.

CMDA sources said that existing building was built without adhering to setback norms.  Setback norms are usually a distance from road or street where the building is located. Sufficient setback or open space is essential to combat fire in the buildings. The existing Russian Consulate building has violated the setback norms. It also falls under the non assigned land use area.

Similarly, the proposed building falls under Primary Residential Use zone and Institutional Use zone. The proposed additional construction of indoor volleyball court and play ground falling in primary residential use zone is not permissible, CMDA sources said.

It is learnt that CMDA wants Russian Consul General to hand over 10pc of Open Space Reservation (OSR) area reserved within the site which abuts the public road free of cost through the registered gift deed as the site extent exceeds 10,000 square metres. OSR is applicable on urban land which is brought either through square feet, square metres and grounds.

“In this case, the land was purchased in grounds as such it falls under Urban land category,” sources told Express.  “We have sent in the proposal to the government on whether it wants to relax the norms and a decision in this regard is awaited,” sources added.

It is learnt that Russian Consul General has made a representation to CMDA in the month of November, however, the government has yet to decide on the request.

It is learnt that Russia is submitting development designs for the newly proposed construction done by Mstroy with the guidance and approval of Russian Federation government.

Factfile;

1. Russian Consul general office seeks approval for existing building which violates development regulations

2. CMDA agrees to relax the norms for existing building

3. The proposed new building violates land use plan and CMDA puts forth the request to state government

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans climate change portal by mapping vulnerab...

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans climate change portal by mapping vulnerab...: C Shivakumar @ Chennai: Tamil Nadu government is mapping the areas across the state which is vulnerable to climate change by collating th...

TN plans climate change portal by mapping vulnerable areas

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government is mapping the areas across the state which is vulnerable to climate change by collating the data and feeding it in a Tamil Nadu State Climate Change Knowledge Management Portal.

The initiative which has been launched is part of National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC) which seeks to build a vibrant and dynamic knowledge system that would inform and support national action for responding effectively to the objective of ecologically sustainable development.

The NMSKCC has been launched with the objectives of mapping of the knowledge and data resources relevant to climate change and positioning of a data sharing policy framework for building strategic knowledge among the various arms of the Government.

Under the initiative, a NMSKCC cell has to be created at the State level, wherein all knowledge generated will be made available to the relevant State machinery.

 “Without a credible data sharing mechanism, building strategic knowledge on climate change is virtually impossible. A necessary pre-condition for NMSKCC is a bench marked data collection and sharing system aided by appropriate high bandwidth hard ware infrastructure to network knowledge bodies in the strategic knowledge framework,” the source said.

Official sources told Express that the initiative is being implemented by Department of Environment in collaboration with Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, Anna University, Chennai and the project is being funded by Department of Science and Technology.

The official said that currently data are being sought from all the state government agencies. This include district wise waste generation, urban sanitation, drinking water in urban area, status of water borne disease (Diarhoea, Cholera and Typhoid), vector borne disease (dengue and malaria) and air borne disease (Asthma, Bronchitis).

The information on death rate due to water and airborne diseases will also be collated and added in the portal along with data on availability of drinking water in urban areas.

“We have started collating the information and it will take another five years to complete it,’ said an official source.

Factfile:

1.  The NMSKCC)seeks to build a dynamic and vibrant knowledge system that informs and supports national policy and action for responding effectively to climate change challenges.

2.  The Mission, approved in July 2010, was envisaged as a support Mission, for generating and providing strategic knowledge to the other seven Missions under the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).

3.  Under this Mission, several states including Tamil Nadu has to create a portal mapping vulnerable areas due to climate change.

4.  The project is funded by Department of Science and Technology. Each state is funded with Rs 5 crore to build the infrastructure for the project.

writingonblog uncensored: $1.6m masterplan for two Industrial nodes on Chenn...

writingonblog uncensored: $1.6m masterplan for two Industrial nodes on Chenn...: Chennai: Tamil Nadu government is seeking consultants to prepare master plan for developing two nodes on priority basis along the Chenna...

$1.6m masterplan for two Industrial nodes on Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government is seeking consultants to prepare master plan for developing two nodes on priority basis along the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor which is part of East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), the first coastal corridor to be implemented in India.

The nodes under the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor, which comes under the second phase of East Coast Economic Corridor, include Madurai-Virudhnagar-Dindigul-Theni node and Thoothkudi-Tirunelveli node.

The first phase of the ECEC consists of Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor and the third phase runs through Odisha and West Bengal.

Asian Development Bank will be providing $1.6 million funds for preparing the master plan for the two nodes, which were assessed and prioritised for development based on the three key criteria which include rail road, port and air connectivity, urban-industrial eco-system and skilled work force supply.

The Madurai-Virudhnagar-Dindigul-Theni (MDVT) node will cater to 8,232 acres of land. This includes existing 25 acres of SIPCOT land in Nilakottai. Official sources indicated that 8,207 acres of land needs to be acquired for the node in Thirumangalam in Madurai district, Vedasandur in Dindigul district, Virudhnagar and Sattur in Virudhnagar district and Bodinayakanur in Theni district.

Similarly, the Thoothkudi-Tirunelveli node will come up in 11,248 acres of land. This includes 2,730 acres of land in existing parks which include Thoothkudi Sipcot, Gangaikondan Sipcot, Gangaikondan Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Nanguneri SEZ.

It is learnt another 8,518 acres of land is required to be acquired for the project in Sillanathan and Kulathur in Thoothkudi district and Gangakondan New Park in Tirunelveli district.

The master plan will assess the comprehensive market potential of the nodes, including economic profile, industry scenario and potential growth. It will also include plans for development of climate-resilient external and internal infrastructure for the nodes in terms of transport and logistics and infrastructure to streamline transport connections at ports, feeder connections and maritime gateways.

The integral part of master plan process will be demand side intervention with a focus on assessing the needs of investor. Anchor investors for the nodes will be identified early on and continuous consultations will be pursued to identify their concerns and expectations, their land, infrastructure, skill and utility pricing requirements will assessed and given due consideration in the plan.

It is learnt that that master plan will delineate zones or areas where the development will be focused along with associated permissible land uses in respective regions to optimally utilize any existing infrastructure or unutilized industrial lands.

Factfile:

1.  The masterplan will provide comprehensive market potential of the two industrial nodes

2.  It will assess the population to be catered to by the proposed industrial nodes for next 30 years

3.  It will conduct gap assessment of social infrastructure including health, education, housing and recreational facilities with respect to projected requirements

4.  Develop a land use plan to strengthen urban development dimension and provide for ring fencing land around the nodes for development of urban agglomerations.

5.  Propose strategies that would stimulate and strengthen domestic and international trade links for the nodes



East Coast Economic Corridor Factfile:

1.  The ECEC is implemented in three phases

2.  Phase-1 includes Vizag-Chennai Industrial corridor, which covers Andhra; Phase II covers Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corrior and Phase III covers Odisha and West Bengal

3.  Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor will have two industrial nodes

4.  The industrial nodes include Madurai-Dindigul-Virudhnagar-Theni (8,232 acres) and Thoothkudi-Tirunelveli Corridor (11,248 acres)

5.  The master plan for the two industrial nodes will be funded by Asian Development Bank ($1.6m).

writingonblog uncensored: Elusive bomber of RSS Hq in Chennai arrested by C...

writingonblog uncensored: Elusive bomber of RSS Hq in Chennai arrested by C...: CHENNAI: Twenty-four years after eluding the law, Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the main accused in the 1993 blast at RSS Head Quarters in Che...

Elusive bomber of RSS Hq in Chennai arrested by CBI after 24 years

CHENNAI:

Twenty-four years after eluding the law, Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the main accused in the 1993 blast at RSS Head Quarters in Chennai which killed 11 people, was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday.

Ahmed, who was arrested from the outskirts of the city, had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for providing credible information about him. He was arrested by CBI, which has taken over the investigation from the state police, from Reningunta in Andhra Pradesh.

The blast happened on August, 8, 1993 at about 1.45pm at MV Naidu Street, Chetpet, Madras resulting in the death of 11 persons and injuries to 7 others with extensive damage to the building.

After completion of investigation, CBI had filed charge sheets against 18 accused. The agency's hunt for Ahmed has gathered steam after a TADA court in Chennai had convicted 11 persons and awarded life term to three of them in the case in 2007 after a 12-year trial. Four persons, including SA Basha, founder of the banned Al Umma were acquitted for lack of evidence against them.

Immam Ali, a suspected ISI agent who had escaped from custody in Madurai, was gunned down in Bangalore in an encounter with the police on September 29, 2002, while another accused-- Jihad Committee Founder Palani Baba-- was hacked to death by suspected RSS sympathisers on January 28, 1997.

Of the 431 witnesses, 224 were examined during the course of the trial which commenced on August 7, 1995. The charge sheet was filed on June 8, 1994.

writingonblog uncensored: Mahindra's plan to invest Rs 4,000 cr in TN suffer...

writingonblog uncensored: Mahindra's plan to invest Rs 4,000 cr in TN suffer...: C SHIVAKUMAR @ Chennai: Some of the projects signed under Global Investors Meet are unlikely to get approvals from revenue and Public ...

Mahindra's plan to invest Rs 4,000 cr in TN suffers blow

C SHIVAKUMAR @ Chennai:

Some of the projects signed under Global Investors Meet are unlikely to get approvals from revenue and Public Works Department as they were proposed to be built on water bodies or meikal poromboke land, according to a official in the revenue department.

Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd’s proposal to invest Rs 4,000 crore for setting up a large manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu which would roll out the company’s future models is unlikely to get the green signal.

The project is to come up at Cheyyar and Marimalai Nagar and about 22 acres of land identified is a water course. It is unlikely that clearance will be given to the project as Madras High Court recently summoned 16 district collectors of the state and had asked them not to construct anything on water bodies.

“They were also directed to clear encroachment on the water bodies and work has already begun in this regard,” said the official.

The proposal of TVS Motor plan to invest Rs 350 crore in its existing two-wheeler and three-wheeler plants in Hosur has also suffered a setback as it wants the test track facility to be built on meikkal poromboke land. "Meikkal poromboke land can't be given for commercial use," a revenue official said.

The official also said that the Rs 4,500 crore project of MRF in Perambalur lacks approval. The existing buildings of MRF are not approved.

It is learnt that MRF has encroached the poromboke Odai and the issue is yet to be resolved by the government.  

“The courts have been strict after the December 2015 floods. Revenue Department or Public Works Department would not like to stand before the Court and give an explanation. The state will not allow water bodies to be converted into industries,” a top official said.

Officials said the courts are also questioning the government on how it accorded permission for construction in Pallikaranai Marshland, including the Central government’s National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). "The government is not against development but development should not be done at the cost of nature," the official added.

It is learnt that government won’t be bending its rules when it comes to protecting water bodies and that too not for the sake of having industries on water bodies after repeated raps from the courts, the official added.

writingonblog uncensored: TN seeks allocation of Rs 26,575 cr funds for bui...

writingonblog uncensored: TN seeks allocation of Rs 26,575 cr funds for bui...: C Shivakumar @ Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to make special allocation of Rs 26,575 crore for building 3.42 lakh ...

TN seeks allocation of Rs 26,575 cr funds for building homes in coastal districts

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to make special allocation of Rs 26,575 crore for building 3.42 lakh dwelling units in 13 coastal districts of the state.

The state has sought the sanction of funds for building the dwelling units in coastal districts so as to ensure the loss of lives, property and livelihood to families living in kutcha houses in minimised.

As per the demand survey conducted by Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the urban housing requirement assessed under the 13 coastal districts is 5.85 lakh dwelling units. Of these, approval for construction of 1.89 lakh houses at a project cost of 7,499 crore has been obtained from Centre with the recommendation of State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee.

Interestingly, of the 5.85 lakh houses, a majority of dwelling units to be constructed for poor falls in Thiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. In these three districts alone, the demand for housing is 2.53 lakh dwelling units. Of these only 52,707 dwelling units have been approved at a cost of Rs 3,051 crore.

The total project outlay for the three districts alone comes to around 12,580 crore.

 In Kanyakumari, which is battered by Cyclone Ockhi, the demand for housing is 36,750n of which 22,266 have been approved at a cost of Rs 706 crore. Similarly, the demand survey has identified the requirement of 42,277  homes in Thoothkudi district of which 18,377 homes have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 558 crore.

Similarly in Nagapattinam district, the demand survey has identified requirement of 22,059 houses of which only 7001 homes have been approved at a cost of rs 230.751 crore, an official source said.

Factfile:

Demand housing survey in 13 coastal districts of TN

Houses required: 5.86 lakh

Houses approved: 1.89 lakh

Project cost Approved: 7,499 crore

Former Madras HC judge B Rajendran is TN Real Estate Appellate Tribunal chairman

Chennai:

Former Madras High Court judge B Rajendran is the Chairman of Real Estate Apellate Tribunal for Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Anadaman and Nicobar Island.

His appointment was recommended by Chief Justice of Madras High court Indira Banerjee thus paving the way for constitution of Tamil Nadu Real Estate Tribunal in the state.

As per Section 43 of Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the state government has to establish Real estate Appellate Tribunal for Tamil Nadu and under section 45 of the act, the tribunal should consist of a chairperson and not less than two whole time members, of which one shall be a judicial member and one has to be a technical or administrative member appointed by the government.

The appointment comes after the government constituted a Selection committee to select chairperson and members of Real estate Regulatory authority and members of Real Estate Apellate Tribunal.  

The selction committee consists of Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Tamil Nadu Housing Secretary and Tamil Nadu Law secretary. While the recommendations of selection committee are still awaited, the tribunal has come into force with Registrar General of Madras High Court informing that B Rajendran has been nominated by the Chief Justice as chairperson for Real Estate Appellate Tribunal of Tamil Nadu.

His monthly salary has been fixed at Rs 80,000 and he will get allowances and conditions of service shall be on par with serving judge of Madras High Court.

writingonblog uncensored: Your Nest to cost more by Rs 400 per square feet t...

writingonblog uncensored: Your Nest to cost more by Rs 400 per square feet t...: Chennai: The New Year may not be good for home buyers as real estate developers are planning to increase the cost of flats by about 10 ...

Your Nest to cost more by Rs 400 per square feet this year!

Chennai:

The New Year may not be good for home buyers as real estate developers are planning to increase the cost of flats by about 10 per cent due to rise in sand, cement and steel prices.

Suresh Krishn, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developer’s Association of India (CREDAI), told reporters that the real estate sector has suffered a setback with the implementation of GST and now with the rising cost of raw materials the developers have no go but to pass on the price rise to customers.

This would mean a 1,000 square feet 3 Bedroom Hall Kitchen flat would cost additional Rs 5 lakh.

He said the overall cost of construction per square feet has increased by Rs 400. Of this, sand alone costs Rs 200 additional per square feet.

Sand was priced at rs 35 per cubic feet six months ago and now it is Rs 135, a whopping increase of Rs 100. As a result the per square feet construction cost involving sand has risen by Rs 200.

Similarly, cement which was earlier priced Rs 270 per bag is now priced at Rs 330 per bag as a result the cost of construction using cement has increased by Rs 30.

Even the price of steel has gone up from 34,000 per ton to Rs 47,000 per ton. This has pushed the additional cost of construction by Rs 60 per square feet. “Currently, the construction cost of stilt plus four floors of building is Rs 2,800 per square feet. Thsi will go up by another Rs 400,” said S Sridharan, vice-president of CREDAI Chennai chapter.

Krishn said that the inventory of unsold flats has come down drastically in the last two years as there were no new launches during the period.

“We expect in the next six months, the demand will be more than the supply,” Krishn predicted. He said that the developers have been asking the state government to allow import of sand so that it can put an end to rising cost of sand prices. But till now no decision has been taken yet, he said. He also said that the cost of m-sand has more than doubled as such it is also not viable.

He said that the real estate sector has been hit as the Goods Service Tax has been implemented on cost of land. This has affected the the builders as those wanting to build in upmarket localities will have to pay huge cost while those building in Tambaram, where the cost of land is low, has to pay lower GST.

“We have taken up the issue with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and are hopeful for a positive solution,” he said.

Factfile:

Sand:

Before six month rate: Rs 35 per cubic feet

Current rate: Rs 135 per cubic feet

Increase: Rs 100

Impact on construction cost: Rs 200 per square feet

Cement:

Before six month rate: Rs 270 per bag

Current rate: Rs 330 per bag

Increase: Rs 60

Impact on construction cost: Rs 30 per square feet

Impact on construction cost: Rs 200 per square feet

Steel:

Before six month rate: Rs 34,000 per tonne

Current rate: Rs 47,000 per tonne

Increase: Rs 13,000

Impact on construction cost: Rs 60 per square feet

Ceramic tiles, electricals and other costs: Rs 110 per square feet

Total Rise in Cost of Construction: Rs 400

writingonblog uncensored: Customs sleuths foil bid to smuggle gold worth Rs ...

writingonblog uncensored: Customs sleuths foil bid to smuggle gold worth Rs ...: Chennai: Customs officials have arrested one person and foiled a   bid to smuggle 1.8kg of gold worth Rs 54 lakh in two separate incident...

Customs sleuths foil bid to smuggle gold worth Rs 54 lakh in Chennai Airport

Chennai:

Customs officials have arrested one person and foiled a  bid to smuggle 1.8kg of gold worth Rs 54 lakh in two separate incidents in last two days. 

A Customs department spokeman said that Mohammed Afzal Alibappu (26), who arrived from Dubai by Air India flight on Wednesday was intercepted at the arrival hall and on examination of his checked-in baggage, a air-cooler was found to be unusually heavy.

On dismantling the air cooler, 21 silver coloured round shaped metal sheets were found. The government approved gold appraiser treated the silver colour coated sheets with heat and acid and 669 grams of gold worth Rs 19.7 lakh was recovered.

In a separate case, Rafeeque Rahim (28), who had arrived from Riyadh from Saudi Airlines flight on Tuesday, was arrested for trying to smuggle in 1149 grams of gold worth Rs 34 lakh. The gold was concealed in two packets of his inner trouser pockets.  

writingonblog uncensored: Bid to smuggle Rs 23 lakh worth gold in airport fo...

writingonblog uncensored: Bid to smuggle Rs 23 lakh worth gold in airport fo...: CHENNAI: Customs officials on Tuesday foiled a bid to smuggle 782 grams of gold worth Rs 23 lakh at Anna International Airport in Chenn...

Bid to smuggle Rs 23 lakh worth gold in airport foiled

CHENNAI:

Customs officials on Tuesday foiled a bid to smuggle 782 grams of gold worth Rs 23 lakh at Anna International Airport in Chennai by a passenger who arrived from Dubai by an Indigo Airline flight.  

Navas Machingal Kaithpoil, (28), an Indian citizen, was intercepted at the exit of the arrival hall on suspicion that he might be carrying contraband.

On examination of his checked-in baggage, a popcorn maker box and one portable CD and Radio player were recovered which were found to be unusually heavy.

On dismantling the popcorn maker, a rotating coil was found. On cutting open the coil, nine silver coloured round shaped sheets were recovered. Similarly, on dismantling portable CD Radio, 27 ‘E’ shaped gold sheets which were embedded in the transformer were recovered.  

A Government approved gold appraiser treated both the silver and gold sheets with acid and heat to recover gold. The passenger has been arrested under provision of Customs Act, 1962, according to a Customs department statement.

writingonblog uncensored: Travel in MRTS with Chennai Metro like ambience

writingonblog uncensored: Travel in MRTS with Chennai Metro like ambience: C SHIVAKUMAR @ CHENNAI: Passengers travelling on Mass Rapid Transit system (MRTS) will avail comforts more or less akin to Chennai Metro...

Travel in MRTS with Chennai Metro like ambience

C SHIVAKUMAR @ CHENNAI:

Passengers travelling on Mass Rapid Transit system (MRTS) will avail comforts more or less akin to Chennai Metro as the the railway service owned by Southern Railway is set to be segregated and handed over to Chennai Metro Rail.

The usually lifeless stations like Chennai Fort and Park Town are likely to be be segregated from the usual suburban stations and may be refurbished as there are plans to install lifts and escalators in these stations, according to sources in Chennai Metro and Southern Railway.

This would be mean the quality of train ravel on the MRTS station station from Beach station to Velachery will be upgraded with coaches similar to Chennai Metro.

It is learnt from official sources that MRTS will not have the suburban rail coaches but new metro rolling stock with new communications-based train control (CBTC) system which will have metro-standard signalling across the full line.

Similarly, the entire stations will undergo repairs and renovations and platform modifications will be required for the new rolling stock which will be rolled out once the merger takes place.

Stations along the MRTS network will have modern telecommunication system at all stations including CCTV cameras, automated fare collection gates, passenger information systems and passenger announcement system. But then there would be no guage conversion. MRTS will remain a broad guage line since gauge conversion will be too disruptive, sources added.

Interestingly, these are the suggestions of interim report submitted by consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers and Balaji Railroad Systems which had suggested the assets of MRTS to taken and those that have to be handed over to Southern Railway.

The report has suggested that assets to be taken over include civil station structures, the MRTS yard area at Beach station, all electrical substations, overhead electric lines and functional electrical assets. Those assets which have to be handed over to Southern Railway include existing platforms at Beach station used for MRTS, the current rolling stock used on the network and entire signalling and telecommunications infrastructure currently installed.

Plans are also on to have a new terminus and concourse at Beach station which is within the existing MRTS yard with direct entry to and from Rajaji Salai and a separate area for interchange passengers. Sources told Express that there is also an option to build new MRTS platform further south of existing platforms, which will be used by southern Railways.

Interestingly, a clearer picture is likely to merge on Friday when stakeholders meeting is scheduled. It is likely that a final shape would be given by the consultants who will present a draft final report which will focus on analysis of capital expenditure and the future capital and operating costs post-merger scenario. “This will identify the required capital investment needed to bring MRTS up to metro standards, including improvements identified in the interim report,” sources added.

“The operating and maintenance costs for the new metro-style service will be established and the projected financial viability of the new line will be indicated,” source added.

However, the main focus of the draft final report would be structuring the takeover. It will include the possibility of integrating MRTS within the existing CMRL structure or establishing it as separate company with CMRL taking over the role of an operator.

Factfile:

How MRTS will be upgraded to metro standard?

1. Beach station will be upgraded with new terminus

2. Fort and Park suburban and MRTS statiosn will be segregated with installation of lifts and escalators

3. All MRTS stations will be renovated with platform modications for metro rail coaches

4. New communications-based train control system for metro standard signalling

5. Installation of modern telecom systems at all stations including CCTV, passenger information systems, passenger announcements systems

6. Procurement of metro rolling stock with onboard communications based train control