Title - Metro Rail neighbourhoods to be spruced up

The Chennai Corporation has commenced work on identifying the civic infrastructure requirements near the proposed metro stations across the city.The civic body has directed officials of corporation zones in Anna Nagar, Adyar, Kodambakkam, Teynampet and Royapuram to study the deficiencies in the area lying within a radius of 500 metres of a metro station.Chennai Metro Rail Limited in a recent meeting had asked the civic body to speed up work on creating adequate civic infrastructure such as roads, bus shelters, parking lots including multi level facilities, streetlights, signboards and storm water drains.CMRL officials at the meeting pointed to the poor civic infrastructure around the Mass Rapid Transit System between Chennai Beach and Velachery. The poor civic infrastructure remains a hindrance to optimum use of the facility. The civic body was asked to take immediate efforts to prevent a similar condition after the Metro Rail begins operations next year in a stretch.The Chennai Metro Rail project has two corridors — Washermenpet to Airport and Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount. A portion of the metro alignment on Corridor-I, between Washermenpet and Saidapet, and on Corridor-II, between Central and Thirumangalam, runs as underground tunnels. Of the 36 upcoming metro stations, 20 would be underground.

The civic body has started preparing a list of pieces of lands near the upcoming metro stations for creation of parking lots.

Any multi-level facility will also be aesthetically harmonizing with the Metro Rail station. An elevated two-level station will have aesthetic all-weather roofing, an official said.

As many of the upcoming stations are yet to have world-class civic infrastructure around them, the Chennai Corporation is planning to find alternative ways to ensure that all of them have parking lots and would have facilities for feeder bus services before the stations become functional.

By the end of 2013, a passenger would be able to reach St. Thomas Mount from Koyambedu using a world-class Metro Rail service.

Before this comes into existence, the Chennai Corporation will put in place the entire civic infrastructure for a hassle-free transport network that has been designed to interlink suburban trains, MRTS services and bus stations, an official said.