Chennai Monorail

Chennai Monorail
Info
Locale	Chennai, India
Transit type	Monorail
Number of lines	4 (Phase I)
Headquarters	Chennai
Operation
Began operation	2013 (Estd.)
Train length	4 coaches
Headway	3 minutes
Technical
System length	111 Km (Phase I)
Electrification	750 V DC
Average speed	65 km/h (40 mph)
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)

See also Chennai MRTS, a first generation metro system in Chennai.

See also Chennai Metro, a metro system under construction.

Chennai Monorail is a rail-based transit system for the Indian city of Chennai. It is proposed in the Long-term Urban Transportation Scheme of Second Master Plan by CMDA. The state government has announced plans to introduce monorail across City to reduce traffic congestion and to increase the share of public transport in the urban transport network. The aim is to increase the share of public transport in Chennai from 27% to 46% by 2026. The focus on suburban areas is a conscious move aimed at supporting the rapidly expanding Chennai city.

History

The Tamil Nadu Government invited bids for the over-ambitious 'Elevated Monorail Mass Rapid Transit System' (EMMRTS) monorail project covering over 300 km to be implemented at a single phase in February 2006.^[1] Soon after a public interest litigation was filed in High Court, Chennai against awarding of the contract and the court ordered the government not to award the final contract without its prior permission. Then Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha only received many criticism for the ill-advised project and hoping to go ahead with the project, the metro rail was junked. A total of 18 corridors had been proposed.^[2] Had the project been executed, it would have been the biggest monorail project in the planet dwarfing any other monorail in the world. However, soon she was voted out of power and the monorail project was shelved. Again, when the new AIADMK government came to power in 2011, the current Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, through the Governor Surjith Singh Barnala's address to the assembly, stated that the Chennai Monorail project of around 300 km will be revived and would supplement the existing metro rail systems that were implemented by the previous DMK government. This will also, when completed, be the world's largest monorail network.

Proposed Corridors in 2006

The following 18 corridors were proposed to be completely built within 18 months.

Origin	Destination	Length (km)	Common Length (km)
Parrys	Guduvanchery	42
Parrys	Poonamalle	22.4	2
Parrys	Porur	17.2	8
Parrys	Avadi	25.2	2
Parrys	Red Hills	19
Parrys	Parrys	42.3	7
Parrys	Manali New Town	23.3	4
Parrys	Kelambakkam	39.2
Halda	Medavakkam	12.3
Anna Statue	Adyar O.T.	8.5	2
Virugambakkam	Santhome	12	0.2
Egmore	MFL Junction	19.2	0.5
Saidapet	Anna Nagar Roundtana	10.5	0.5
Salaima Nagar	Kannadasan Nagar	2.7
Ayanavaram	Anna Square	10.2	1.5
Aminjikarai	Ambattur Estate	6.4	3
Gandhi Statue	Nathamuni	13.2	2
F.S. Estate	Nungambakkam	11	0.2

Total Route Length — 333.1 km
Common Length — 32.9 km
Track Length — 300.2 km

Corridors proposed in second master plan

Two corridors have been proposed in the Second Master Plan by CMDA.^[3][4] These corridors have been proposed as a feeder service for Chennai MRTS, Chennai Metro, Chennai Suburban Railway and Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

Corridor 1: Dams Road Junction - Royapettah - thiruvarur - Adyar - Guindy (Halda Junction)
Corridor 2: Lighthouse MRTS Station - Anna flyover - Kilpauk - Perambur

Planned Corridors (Phase I)

The Four corridors have been identified based on a feasibility study prepared by the Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services Ltd. A crisscrossing network of monorail corridors, running to a total length of 111 km with four corridors, is being planned by the State government and plans to complete the first phase of the monorail project within two years.^[5] The network includes a 54-km link between Vandalur and Puzhal, which when completed would be the longest anywhere in the world. The developer will be responsible to (DBFOT) design, construct, finance, own, maintain and transfer the project after a period of 30 years. Monorail stations would be aesthetically designed, with minimal use of concrete. Initially, a four-car monorail train is expected to run along an elevated narrow guide way that would come up on the road median. The capacity of one train would be about 560 passengers, which translates to a capacity of about 10,000 passengers per hour per direction.

Origin	Destination	Length (km)	Via
Vandalur	Puzhal	54	Tambaram, MEPZ, Pallavaram, Pammal, Kundrathur, Mangadu,[Kumananchavadi],Karayanchavadi, Paruthipattu, Avadi, Thirumullaivoyal, Ambattur O.T, Pudur, Surapet, Puzhal
Vandalur	Velachery	23	Perungalathur, Irumbuliyur, Tambaram East, Sembakkam, Gowriwakkam, Medavakkam, Pallikaranai, Narayanapuram, Velachery.
Poonamallee	Kathipara	18	Poonamallee, Kumananchavadi, Karayanchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyyappanthangal, SRMC Hospital, Porur, Ramavaram, Nandambakkam, Butt Road, Kathipara Junction
Poonamallee	Vadapalani	16	Poonamallee, Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Velappanchavadi, Vanagaram, Maduravoyal, Alapakkam, Porur, Valasarawakkam, Virugambakkam, Vadapalani Junction

On August 13, 2011, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), the nodal agency for implementing the project has called for Submission of Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the proposed Chennai Monorail Mass Rapid Transit System on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) Basis.^[6] The role of Tamilnadu state government will be limited to fixing fares based on a concessionaire agreement.

Project cost

The 111-km long, first phase of the Chennai Monorail project is proposed at an cost of 166,500 million.^[7] The per-kilometre cost of the Chennai monorail will be around 1,500 million.

Inter modal transit facilities

• Chennai suburban railway network: Tambaram, Velacherry
• Chennai MTC bus terminuses: Satellite Mofussil bus terminus planned at Tambaram ,Velachery.
• Southern Railway: Tambaram.
• TNSTC: Tambaram, Vadapalani and Kathipara Junction.

See also

• Delhi Monorail
• Bangalore Monorail
• Mumbai Monorail
• Kolkata Monorail
• Patna Monorail
• Kanpur Monorail
• Ahmedabad Monorail
• Pune Monorail
• Trivandrum Monorail

References

1. ^ "Chennai Monorail in Controversies". Financial Express. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tn-monorail-lands-in-web-of-controversies/56313/0. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
2. ^ "Monorail project: To cover 300 km in 18 corridors". The Hindu Business Line. 2006-02-03. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/03/stories/2006020302161900.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
3. ^ http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/Volume1_English_PDF/Vol1_Chapter04_Transport.pdf
4. ^ M Gunasekaran, TNN, Sep 3, 2008, 05.47am IST (2008-09-03). "Multi-crore infrastructure plan - Chennai - City - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3438868.cms. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
5. ^ "Four monorail lines in Phase-I". The Hindu. 2011-08-18. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2366764.ece. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
6. ^ "Global bidding process begins for Chennai Monorail". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2011-08-18. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2366765.ece. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
7. ^ "TN kickstarts Rs 16,650-cr Monorail project". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2011-08-18. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/article2385852.ece. Retrieved 2011-08-23.