Title - MMTS Phase-II work soon

The groundwork for the much-awaited Multi Modal Transport Services (MMTS) Phase-II project would be begin in April 2013, according to the South Central Railway authorities.

An MoU between the Railway Board and the government would be signed to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which would expedite the project designed to connect the city suburban areas and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has been entrusted with the job of taking up the works. It has already undertaken a detailed survey of the available railway lines, land required for the new lines, stations and workshops, road crossings etc., across the eight routes extending to more than 100 km.

The RVNL will take up the contract finalisation work soon. Under the MMTS Phase II works, which is being taken up at a cost of Rs. 632 crore - a total of 9 new stations would be established and over 18 existing stations upgraded. New routes, extending to a length of 15.6 km, would be laid and over 60 km MMTS lines doubled.

The government would bear 51 per cent of the estimated project cost of more than Rs 632 crore, with the Railway Board bearing the rest. It took seven years for the RB to clear the SPV as the draft proposal was floated by the government way back in 2005 at an initial cost of Rs 325 crore.

The purpose of SPV is to make the project financially viable, as it would look into the commercial exploitation of the station and lands, while the railways would be operating the trains.

When contacted, SCR officials said that the SPV would be headed by a chairman to be nominated from the government side, while the managing director would be from the railways for operations and maintenance. There would be a board of directors drawn from the both sides.