Southern Railway plans to exploit the vacant space at MRTS stations

The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) was initiated by the Tamil Nadu government with 60% funding along with land. The route winds through the Buckingham Canal and the Pallikaranai Marsh. The project was completed from Beach to Velachery in 2007, when Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi inaugurated the services. Since then, the MRTS has built a commuter base.

The MRTS was designed to have elevated tracks, with the ground floor meant for commercial purposes. It was believed that rents from the commercialisation of the space would help to create a sustainable transport facility for Southern Railway and pave the way for the expansion of the project. Nearly two decades have passed since the services were launched first till Thirumayilai, then till Thiruvanmiyur, and finally till Velachery. But the huge space available at the stations on prime locations remains vacant and poses a security threat to the commuters.

Project report ready

Initially, the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) planned to execute the commercial project. Now, the Tamil Nadu government’s Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has prepared a detailed project report for creating a special purpose vehicle, to be handled by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited, for taking over the MRTS from Southern Railway. The proposal is pending with the Railway Ministry.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Division of Southern Railway itself is exploring the possibility of using the vacant space for commercial purposes. A senior official says that as the proposal to hand over the MRTS to the State government is pending with the Railway Board, it has been planned to commercially exploit the vast unused space at the 15 MRTS stations.

The MRTS line runs from Beach to Velachery, a vital route for commuters. The vacant space presents a unique opportunity for commercial ventures such as retail outlets, food establishments, convenience stores, service centres, co-working spaces, warehousing and stacking facilities, and boarding houses, the official adds.

Open to all

The Expression of Interest (EoI) has been invited for developing the vacant space at the 15 stations as commercial hubs to increase the market value of the stations. The EoI is open to individuals, non- governmental organisations (NGOs), charitable institutions, corporations, business entities, and other interested parties, says the official. Railway officials will identify vacant areas, assess market possibilities, study the feasibility of commercial use, identify potential business opportunities and investors, calculate the cost, and address the potential issues for creating the business base.

The Railways will help to get permission from government departments for establishing such commercial establishments. The official says a comprehensive business plan for each station, based on the infrastructure available and the infrastructure proposed, is being prepared. A total of 36,500 square metres of space at these stations has been identified for commercial exploitation.

The 15 stations are Chintadripet, Chepauk, Thiruvallikeni, Light House, Mundakakanni Amman Temple, Tirumayilai, Mandaveli, Greenways Road, Kotturpuram, Kasturibai Nagar, Indira Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Taramani, Perungudi, and Velachery. Except at the Velachery station, where 500 square metres has already been allotted, in the other stations 2,000 square metres each has been identified for commercial utilisation.

Driven by kiosks and canteens

The plan comes after Southern Railway made a good revenue by allotting a huge parcel of vacant land outside the Velachery station to a multi-cuisine food court named Karnival. The One Shop One Product kiosks and the railway canteens at the stations of Thiruvanmiyur, Velachery, Chintadripet and Thirumayilai encouraged the Chennai Division to consider the operation of commercial shops and other business ventures. The canteens at Thiruvanmiyur and Velachery have been successful, while the one at Taramani had to be closed, though it was successful, after the COVID-19 lockdown.

In the meantime, the MRTS stations have been getting a fresh coat of paint as part of the annual maintenance. The work has been completed at 13 stations. It is in progress at Light House and Chepauk, and will be completed by the end of December.

While Southern Railway is exploring the business potential of the MRTS stations, commuters and social activists have said the Perungudi and Taramani stations are crumbling, and have also become a spot for local tipplers to gather. At the Perungudi station, stray cattle and dogs occupy the vast vacant space on the ground floor.

Also, the extension of the MRTS till St. Thomas Mount, which was announced by Karunanidhi, is yet to see the light of day, though a mere 500 metres of the 4.50-km stretch has been pending completion. The commuters want the extension project completed at the earliest as the Puzhuthivakkam and Adambakkam stations were completed several years ago.