Latest news with #ChennaiMetroRailLimited
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
CMRL wins twin awards for sustainability, gender equality
CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has won top honours in the categories of Environmental Protection and Gender Equality at the Global GreenTech Environmental and Sustainability Awards 2025. The awards have been handed over by the Greentech Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in New Delhi, at its annual summit. M A Siddique, managing director of CMRL, received the awards at a ceremony attended by other senior officials including director (Projects) T Archunan, director (Finance) S Krishnamoorthy, and chief advisor (Environment & Gender) Dr Rajeev K Srivastava. The Gender Equality recognition comes in the wake of the metro operator implementing inclusive recruitment, training, and leadership development policies, while prioritising workplace safety and equal opportunity for all employees, a press release said. Over the past year, the agency has also stepped up its efforts in energy efficiency, water conservation, carbon emission reduction, and climate-resilient infrastructure planning. These measures have been instrumental in reducing operational costs, the release said. 'This is not just about awards - it's about embedding sustainability and inclusion into every layer of our operations,' said Siddique.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Construction flaws caused crash at Manapakkam: CMRL officials
The construction flaws appear to have led to the girders crash at Manapakkam in which a 43-year-old person was crushed to death on Thursday night. According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) a detailed investigation into the incident has begun. 'Prima facie, it appears that the method of construction is at fault. The I-girders should have been secured well,' an official said. In addition, the vibration from movement of heavy vehicles over an undulation of a recently closed pothole on the road too could have triggered the incident. It could have been prevented if the girders were firmly secured, the official suspected. Around 9.45 p.m., as 43-year-old Ramesh, a resident of Nagercoil was travelling past Manapakkam, the girders from the under-construction flyover fell on him. At this location, a double-decker corridor's construction has been ongoing for years. While the flyover is at the first level, CMRL's phase II elevated corridor 5 runs above it. Last week, very close to the location where the incident occurred, CMRL claimed a 'historic engineering feat' after erecting a 33.3 metre U-girder for the elevated corridor. While the U-girders are fixed here for building the Metro Rail's elevated stretch, the I-girders are deployed for the building of the flyover linking Mugalivakkam with MIOT Hospital. These I-girders are also long, unlike the standard 25 metre girders, measuring 33.3 metres, officials said. 'The instability could have been also because of the I-girder length. Shorter spans usually don't cause such issues. Even in the case of the OMR, we had a 30 metre long I-girder and there were no incidents. Here, too, if the steel A-frame holding the I-girders at both points were held tight, the accident would have not occurred. We also suspect there may have been uneven loading on the frame. Only a detailed investigation will reveal the reasons,' another official said. CMRL has begun an extensive safety audit. Wherever the I-girders have been placed, like for instance, in Mount-Poonamallee Road or the IT Corridor, a team of engineers are checking every span. 'We are placing additional rods in between the I-girders and strengthening them with welding yet again at both ends,' he said. CMRL officials also said, the U-girders placed in most parts of the elevated corridor for the phase II project are safe. There are also safety officers who periodically check each site, they said. In a statement, the CMRL said: 'Subsequent to the unfortunate incident involving the collapse of the two I-girders at Manapakkam, resulting in the demise of Mr Ramesh from Nagercoil, Chennai Metro Rail Limited has provided an immediate ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the bereaved family. In addition, the contractor Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has extended a compensation of Rs 20 lakhs to the family. An enquiry has been constituted to investigate the incident.' Sources said, locations like Saligramam should be checked and also the weights installed for overhead equipment on Arcot Road lack encasing in some of the locations and needs to be addressed to avoid any more accidents. 'If the safety officers really did periodical checks, then, one life wouldn't have been lost. They have been careless,' a source said. One of the commuters R K Ravichandran, a resident of Iyyapanthangal who frequently travels via Arcot Road and Mount - Poonamallee Road said, there are times he has feared about the Metro Rail structures above and if it could fall. 'It was scary to hear what happened last night. When CMRL is carrying out construction, they should step up safety and make that the priority,' he said.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Reading station: Chennai Central Metro now has a ‘book park'
On the way to the ticket counter at Chennai's bustling Central metro station, you can see a cosy 'book park' that promises to offer serendipity. Nestled between a pharmacy and an eatery, the 5,000 Chennai Book Park features a chequered grey and blue carpet, glass walls, and is fully air-conditioned. A joint initiative of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Chennai Metro Rail Limited, the facility has been built at a cost of ₹1.85 crore. Featuring over a dozen publishers — Katha Books, Vitasta, and Kalachuvadu Publications, to name a few — the facility has more than 10,000 titles in English and Tamil, including mainstream bestsellers from Higginbotham's. What catches the eye is the sea of books for children, ranging from illustrated works to books for learning. 'Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to have a book store inside a metro station. The main objective here is to promote reading,' says Sankara Saravanan, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation. The initiative will look to cash in on the large number of passengers — around 20,000 a day as of March 2024 — who pass through Central Metro, and will hopefully serve as a model for similar enterprises across the country. 'I was surprised to come across this store during my commute. I find the collection interesting and it's a great opportunity to buy books for my children,' said Jayamani, a mother of two. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the facility also has a cafeteria and a mini hall for book-related events.
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Chaos grips Chennai metro as airport station goes offline for hours
CHENNAI: Metro services at the airport station came to a grinding halt for hours on Wednesday evening after a technical fault halted all train services on both the green and blue lines, throwing the city's peak-hour commute out of gear. The fault, which occurred around 5pm, was rectified on the Blue Line after two hours, but the green line was still down at 10pm. The blue line connects Wimco Nagar to the airport via Alandur and Meenambakkam. While operations continued between Wimco Nagar Depot and Meenambakkam, the critical airport terminal remained inaccessible, and full services on this line only resumed after 7pm. Green line services, which typically run from Chennai Central to the airport via Koyambedu, were suspended beyond Alandur. As commuters had to switch trains at Alandur, it resulted in severe congestion and prolonged delays at the interchange. Many passengers disembarked at Meenambakkam in search of taxis and auto-rickshaws to reach the airport, while others waited anxiously at the airport metro station. 'There was no clear announcement. We kept waiting without knowing why trains were not coming,' said Rajesh, a commuter who had been stuck at the station for over an hour. The disruption also spilled on to the Green Line, as commuters from airport headed towards Koyambedu, Vadapalani, and Anna Nagar also boarded the blue line trains and disembarked at Alandur. At Chennai Central, one of the network's busiest nodes, frustrated commuters jostled to board overcrowded trains. 'There was a huge rush with people pushing to get in,' said a passenger, describing the scene during the breakdown. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) acknowledged the technical fault and issued an apology, advising passengers to plan for extended travel times.
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Chennai's Vadapalani bus terminus set for major overhaul
CHENNAI: The Vadapalani bus terminus, one of Chennai's busiest transit points, is set for a major overhaul. Chennai Metro Asset Management Limited (CMAML) - a joint venture between Chennai Metro Rail Limited and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation - has floated tenders for redeveloping the 6.65acre site into a modern multimodal hub and commercial complex. Located along the high-traffic Arcot Road corridor, the existing depot handles over 158 buses and 1,100 daily services. The redevelopment, which is likely to cost more than Rs 480 crore, will feature a ground-level transit hub with five boarding bays and two alighting bays. It will also offer dual access points from Arcot Road for terminal users and Kumaran Colony Main Road for commercial traffic. It will also offer dual access points from Arcot Road for terminal users and Kumaran Colony Main Road for commercial traffic. Above the terminal, the 12-storey structure will include retail outlets, a food court and restaurant hub, and office spaces.
