Feb 05, 2014 / Times of India
CHENNAI: The government’s realigned monorail route will connect Poonamallee in the northwest of Chennai and Vandalur far south through two corridors that will meet near the Kathipara intersection.
Work on the first corridor is expected to begin in August, with the government having issued tenders for the project. When completed, the 21km first corridor will link Poonamallee and Kathipara, via Kumaranchavadi, Porur and Nandambakkam, with a wishbone line forking off to Vadapalani.
Officials of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), the agency executing the project, said monorail will provide a mass transit system to the densely populated Porur along the first corridor and, on the second line, Medavakkam, neighbourhoods bypassed by MRTS and the suburban rail network.
The officials said the government will soon announce the alignment for the second corridor between Vandalur and Kathipara, via Perungalathur, Irumbuliyur, Tambaram East, Sembakkam, Medavakkam and Velacherry.
The MTC official said the first corridor will meet the metro rail corridors at Vadapalani and Kathipara. The second will meet the main MRTS depot at Tambaram and metro rail corridor at Kathipara.
Transportation experts said monorail will make commuting easier for residents the neighbourhoods along the two corridors and give a fillip to business prospects in the locality. They also urged the government to integrate the ticketing systems and information services for monorail, metro rail and MRTS.