In an effort to increase revenue, the Chennai Metro Rail plans to construct two buildings specifically for property development in the vicinity of two stations — Ekkatuthangal and Arumbakkam.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), space has been earmarked close to both the stations where they plan to have retail-cum-office complex buildings.
“We will call for tenders soon for buildings in these spaces. These will be leased out as unfurnished buildings and the firm renting them can make use of the space for commercial purposes,” an official said.
The two stations fall on the first stretch of the Metro from Koyambedu to Alandur. These stations have the least number of passengers travelling through them. Arumbakkam witnesses about 600 and Ekkatuthangal around 1,000 commuters every day. The numbers see a mild increase during weekends and the holiday season.
More stalls
CMRL put up food stalls in the Koyambedu-Alandur stretch early last year. This initiative will be expanded to the second stretch from Little Mount to Chennai airport too.
“We have not focussed on property development since we want to finish the civil work on the other stretches. In a few months, we will commission the stretch from Thirumangalam to Nehru Park. Subsequently, the stations along Anna Salai will be opened. After the entire 45 km is completed, we will concentrate further on property development,” an official said.
Swetha S, a commuter from Koyambedu, said, “Food joints are one of the best things to happen for a mass rapid transit system. The choice of food stalls is also quite nice. It will be even better if they increase the number of stalls.”
