Metro Rail Phase II: TN, JICA may ink pact in March

S Krishnan, Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, said that they expect to sign an agreement with JICA in March. He was talking to reporters at the AG-DMS underground Metro station, where the first tunnel boring machine from May Day Park was set to break wall. He also added that a team of JICA officials would visit the city in November to discuss the project modalities. 

An estimated Rs 44,000 crore would be spent on Phase II which would provide an additional 108 km Metro network to the city, which already has a 45-km network under Phase I. The second phase would comprise Madhavaram - Siruseri (45.77 km), Madhavaram- Sholinganallur (44.66 km) and CMBT - Light House (17.12 km) routes. 

Though state government officials have scheduled talks with JICA in  November, it is reliably learnt that the team from Japan would begin the preliminary talks with CMRL in the last week of October itself. 

Notably, BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), another key project of the state, has also made some headway. The Special Initiatives Secretary said that the detailed project report was being readied and it should be finalised in two months. An interim report has been presented for the project, for which six routes have been proposed. 

On CMRL taking over MRTS, Krishnan said the consultant appointed to study distribution of assets (of MRTS) has submitted a draft interim report and the interim report would be ready in three months. “Some technical issues must be studied. We are working closely with Railways. We are getting necessary cooperation from them (Railways),” he added. 

Scaffoldings and barricades put up by CMRL would be removed and traffic restored on Anna Salai by December end. Chief general manager, CMRL, VK Singh told DTNext that once the second tunnel from May Day Park side reaches AG-DMS (Around 400m pending), which has been scheduled for November end, they would dismantle the two tunnel boring machines, remove them from DMS and close the shaft.

Officials informed that they have planned to open Airport- Chennai Central and Saidapet-DMS stretches by March 2018. Krishnan exuded confidence that they would open the two stretches in March and the remaining by end of 2018. Of the 32 metro stations in phase-I, 20 were operational (including 7 underground stations). Another seven underground stations would be opened for public use soon.