Now cost of phase-2 metro rail project is reduced
Posted on: 18/Dec/2018 10:03:06 AM
Earlier the cost of phase-2 project of metro rail in Chennai was estimated to be Rs 80,000 crores is known. Now the piece of news that has emerged out is the Chennai metro rail has reduced the cost of phase-2 project by nearly Rs 11,000 crores and the amount is now brought down to Rs 69,000 crores. The important point is the new cost estimate also included the newly added extension up to Poonamallee all the way from LightHouse. Over the last few months the DPR or Detailed Project Report has been revised many times is well known. The station size has been trimmed throughout the entire phase-2 project of metro rail.
As per a source it is clear that there were also other changes like making some of the underground stations into elevated stations etc. The news gathered now is the revised cost as well as revised DPR would be sent to Center and to the government for getting approval.
It must be noted that Chennai metro rail phase-2 project planned to cut down on the extent of land acquired for construction. It decided that major portion would be underground that is 88 km of total 108 km would be underground. The fact is underground stations requires less land for construction. Underground stations have been converted to elevated stations as construction of underground stations is more cost intensive when compared to elevated stations. It is amazing to point out that construction of an underground station would cost Rs 400 crores to Rs 500 crores where as construction of an elevated station would cost nearly half the amount.
It is well known that the Chennai Metro Rail Limited or CMRL wanted to acquire about 800 properties for the project and notices have been issued to the residents. Now there is no clarity regarding CMRL needing more lands because the elevated stations would require more space than the underground stations. In the past officials belonging to CMRL said that when compared to phase-1 project that needed 90,000 sq m of land, phase-2 project needed 40,000 sq m of land. Now this would be reduced to 30,000 sq m. From the 220 meters in phase-1, the size of the stations would be further reduced to 150 meters in the phase-2. There are 4 entry/exit points in phase-1 and in the phase-2 there would be just two points.
As long as 108 kms would be covered in the phase-2 project of Chennai metro rail and there would be as many as 116 stations on three stretches namely Madhavaram to Siruseri, Light House to Meenakshi College and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. In the beginning 50 km with as many as 58 stations would be constructed out of a total of 108 km. For this purpose, soil tests have been carried out at many locations in Chennai city. The extension up to Poonamallee from Light House would be part of phase-2 project and this is present in the revised DPR. This extension was proposed by the government recently is known. This stretch from Light house was supposed to finish at CMBT initially but was re-routed and extended till Poonamallee now.
