A section of Chennai Metro’s track from Washermanpet to Saidapet already needs special repairs.
While the stretch from Washermenpet to AG-DMS started operation last year, the one between AG-DMS and Saidapet was opened in 2018. Now, for a length of nearly 20 km, the track needs special repairs like renewal of track fitting, fastening and other minor fixes, sources said.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited officials said there was no cause for concern as the repairs were precautionary measures to prevent any issue in the future and for safety. “These are related to corrective maintenance work for tracks. It is a usual process,” an official said.
“CMRL has called for tenders and as soon as it is awarded, the work will likely to take about six months,” he added.
However, sources said the need for repairs arose because the contractor had done a poor job. “The quality was unsatisfactory. We have noticed flaking on the surface of rails. It can happen after a lot of wear and tear but not this early,” they said. Another source said the contractor would have to handle the repairs as the promised quality was not delivered.
Since the contractor kept delaying, a new tender was floated to finish the work at the earliest, the source added.
