Techno-feasibility report for Villivakkam terminal 4 in June

CHENNAI: A techno feasibility study for the establishment of the fourth railway terminal of the city is expected in June. Highly placed Southern Railway (SR) sources told DT Next that an external agency was preparing the techno feasibility report for the development of Villivakkam into the fourth terminal of Chennai. The city already has a terminal at Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram.

"We gave some technical inputs to the agency. It is a process we undergo before establishing any new terminal. The external agency will look into our inputs in addition to the usual technical and commercial aspects involved in establishing the terminal," said a highly placed SR officer on condition of anonymity.

Interactions with SR officers revealed that high on the agency's priority would be the number of platforms, maintenance facilities like pit lanes and commercial facilities like ticket counters and the volume of train operations required to set up the new terminal. "We expect the report in June. The zonal and divisional authorities would examine it and work on the workable areas and remedies for challenges," an officer explained.

Asked if land availability and land utilization would be a part of the study, the officer said, "Land has never been a challenge. The study would primarily focus on the passenger amenities and other technical requirements.

However, railway officers were not forthcoming when asked to explain the specific areas they intend to work on after receiving the report owing to the election model code of conduct in place.