Monorail back on track in Chennai

Chennai: Transport minister V. Senthil Balaji Wednesday said the state government had decided to restructure the proposed monorail project for the city in a bid to attract potential developers under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Tabling the policy note of transport department, the minister said the monorail would be run on two corridors covering a length of approximately 43.48 km.  Corridor I will  run from Poonamallee to Kathipara with a link from Porur to Vadapalani (20.68 km), while the second corridor will be between Vandalur and Velachery (22.80 kms), he said. As far as the mono rail projected announced for the Coimbatore city, Mr Balaji said that selection of consultant for the preparation of feasibility study is under process.

In the budget announcements this year, finance minister O. Pannerselvam allocated Rs 200 crore for monorail system in the city for the 2014-15. CPI (M) floor leader A Soundararajan urged the government to extend the monorail project to North Chennai areas as there was a need for such transport solutions in the region. In 2011, after taking over the reins of power, AIADMK government announced a monorail network of 111 km in the first phase to reduce traffic congestion in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).

The minister said that TN Transport Development Finance Corporation Limited has proposed to fund Rs 400.44 crore for purchasing 1,868 new buses by state transport undertakings. He also announced setting up of two new check posts at Thiruvallur and Krishnagiri at a cost of Rs 1.43 crore.