Some Chennai Metro Rail station walls in the city are now beginning to wear different colours.
To raise revenue, Chennai Metro Rail has given out some contracts for branding of stations to a few firms wherein they can also affix the company’s name before the station name and paint the station walls in a colour of their choice.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), contracts for branding have recently been awarded for Nandanam and Teynampet Metro Rail stations. Now, the walls of Nandanam station have been painted red and The Muthoot Group’s name has been added next to the station name. A similar exercise will take place at Teynampet station too, an official said.
The first of the stations that bagged the contract for renaming and branding was Thousands Light Metro Rail station by Spencer Plaza few months ago.
Sources said, many more stations would soon be given out on such contracts for branding and that this is one of the important ways of improving revenue.
“Advertising and branding can go long way in boosting the revenue for us. Apart from the usual income from fares, most metro systems in the country also depend on other resources like advertising and branding of stations. We have already awarded contracts for putting up advertisements in stations too,” an official said.
This apart, several trains have been covered with advertisements of various brands; there are also spaces inside the walls of trains where advertisements have been put up.
CMRL is also taking steps to bring in firms to set up retail outlets and restaurants in the stations. “We hope that with more retail outlets and restaurants, they will be some increase in the number of people travelling too,” another official said.
