Metro Rail has finalised a contractor for building the Poonamalee depot for its phase II project. The depot, which will be used for the repair, maintenance and cleaning of trains, will exclusively serve those to be operated on the Poonamallee-Light House stretch.
According to sources in Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the bids for choosing a contractor were opened recently, and the joint venture between Ukraine-based Altis Holding Corporation and Varindera Constructions Limited emerged as the lowest bidder.
“There are some more procedures to be completed and after that, the contract will be awarded. But, it will be done shortly,” the source said.
Since the section of the Poonamallee-Light House stretch between Poonamallee and Power House will be the first to open to the public in four-five years, it is imperative that the depot be finished by then, the source added.
Piling work to raise a viaduct is under way in the section between Poonamallee and Porur, and this will be extended all the way to Power House soon.
The depot, to be built at a cost of ₹225 crore, will require 17 hectares of land.
It will house 24 tracks and a staff quarters. CMRL has also begun work to procure trains for the stretch and to find a contractor for laying tracks in the depot.
Apart from this depot, the phase II project will have a bigger one at Madhavaram for which CMRL is yet to finalise a contractor.
The work on the phase II project’s other stretches, constructed at a cost of ₹61,843 crore, is yet to gain momentum.
