Metro stations to be named after private firms

The CMRL has floated a tender to allow rights for 31 Metro stations along Corridor 1 and 2 of Phase 1. In Phase 2, a few metro stations running through the IT Corridor will bear the names of the private companies which are located nearby the facility, CMRL officials said. “The measure is aimed at generating additional non-ticketing revenue. Currently, stations carry names of the locality where they were built. A company that wins the bid will have its name as a prefix to the existing name of the station,” a Metro official said.

For Phase 2, CMRL is already making good progress with groundwork. The second phase will span a length of 118.9 km which will comprise three corridors. Corridor 3 will connect Madhavaram to Sholinganallur, Corridor 4 will link Light House to Meenakshi college and Corridor 5 will connect Madhavaram to CMBT. Corridor 3 is the longest stretch under this phase and will connect Perambur market, Ayanavaram, Otteri, Purasawalkam Road, Kellys, KMC, Thousand Lights, Nungambakkam, Adayar depot, Thoraipakkam, Mettukuppam, PTC Colony, Okkiyampet, Karapakkam, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam and Sholinganallur.

Corridor 5 will connect Kendriya Vidyalaya, Anna Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Retteri, Kolathur and Villivakkam bus terminus with North Chennai.

The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 69,180 Crore of which, Rs 13,273 crore will be utilised for the purchase of land and state taxes. The State, Center and the funding agencies will contribute Rs 55,457 Crore in the ratio of 20:20:60.