Track work on the Metro Rail stretch from the Government Estate to AG-DMS on Anna Salai is nearing completion.
Work on this stretch is crucial for commuters travelling to Central from AG-DMS, Saidapet or Nandanam. In two weeks, the stretch from Saidapet to AG-DMS will become operational.
Now, commuters at the Saidapet or Nandanam stations, who want to travel to Central, would have to take a circuitous route through Little Mount, Ashok Nagar, Koyambedu, Thirumangalam and Nehru Park.
If the stretch between the Government Estate and AG-DMS is opened, commuters from Saidapet and Nandanam stations can reach Central in quickly.
It is, however, not clear when the stretch between the Government Estate to AG-DMS will become operational.
Station construction
According to officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the track work has been almost completed on the 4.1 km stretch from the Government Estate to AG-DMS. “Except for two locations — the LIC station and Thousand Lights station — the track has been laid on both upward and downward directions along this stretch. Simultaneously, we have been focussing on finishing the construction of stations on this stretch,” an official said.
The underground stretch from Saidapet to AG-DMS still has civil work left to be completed.
After completing the final inspection, a senior official of the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), said, “Both Saidapet and AG-DMS stations have only one entry/exit point [out of four] ready for now. I have been informed that one more entry/exit point at the Saidapet station will be ready soon, but at AG-DMS it may take some time.”
The CMRS inspected four stations along this 4.1 km stretch including Saidapet, Nandanam, Teynampet and AG-DMS in the last few days. They looked at the civil, operations and readiness of other systems in this stretch.
“There is some fine-tuning to be done in systems like the tunnel ventilation; but otherwise, everything was fine,” he added.
On Sunday afternoon, there will be a second round of inspection again at the Chennai Central Metro Rail station. Only after the CMRS issues a certificate of approval can the services start on both the stretches. Sources said the certificate is likely to come next week.
