CMRL starting tunneling on Phase-II metro corridor

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is set to start tunneling work for the construction of tunnels along the 52-km long priority corridor; the entire corridor is likely to be ready in the next five years, said official sources. About 25% of the trains in this phase will run on three corridors, which will be hired by metro rail to save time and cost on procurement, operation and maintenance. This will be the first time a metro rail system will be trying out the model in the country. It will follow a wet-lease model, where the company that leases out the trains will also operate and maintain them. The train will come with crew and maintenance staff. Once it finishes floating tenders for civil work, it will start calling tenders for systems which include trains and will be similar to government departments hiring cars from an agency and letting them operate and maintain them. CMRL will procure trains from Japan for the corridor from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur and Madhavaram to CMBT, as per conditions laid-down by JICA, which is partly funding construction of the stretch. Trains for the remaining stretches could be hired and operated by private companies. Scores of international companies with help from financial firms are involved in procuring trains from manufacturers and leasing them out to metro rail and subway networks abroad. A first of its kind attempt, CMRL will have three types of rolling stock -- trains from Japan, trains through international competitive bidding; and through wet-lease model, said a senior metro rail official.