The Chennai Metro Rail’s three extension projects — Airport to Kilambakkam, Poonamallee to Parandur, and Koyambedu to Pattabiram via Avadi — are on the radar of the Centre’s Network Planning Group (NPG).
The NPG comprises representatives from various Ministries and departments, whose role is to ensure unified planning and integration of proposals and networks. If the NPG clears these projects, they will be forwarded to the Public Investment Board for approval. Once the Cabinet gives the final nod, the Tamil Nadu government can launch the work.
The detailed project reports (DPRs) of the three projects were sent to the Centre a year ago, but have not been approved yet.
They provide details of the stations, their location, cost, financial, social and environmental impact, projected ridership for the next few decades, and the potential benefits.
According to officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a high-level meeting with the NPG was recently held to discuss the Airport-Kilambakkam project. “They have asked us to hold discussions with Railways and Defence, after which we will discuss the project with the NPG again. Next week, the NPG will review the Koyambedu-Avadi-Pattabiram project, following which Poonamallee-Parandur will be examined. Authorities from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs are also constantly in touch with us. The files are moving at a fairly good pace. We hope to get the final approval for these three extension projects soon,” an official said.
In Chennai, while the 54-km phase I (two corridors — Washermanpet to Chennai airport and Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount) and phase I extension (one corridor — Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar Depot) are operational, the 118.9-km phase II network (three corridors — Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Poonamallee to Light House, and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur) is under construction. The train services in the first stretch of the phase II network from Poonamallee to Vadapalani are expected to begin soon.
Meanwhile, last year, the State government permitted the CMRL to prepare for land acquisition and move utilities for construction once approval is received. Since the construction of such large-scale projects takes time, even if the first project is approved this year, it may take at least three years to make it operational.