Cyclone Michaung Takes Toll on Chennai Metro: Rs 254 Crore In Damages And Repairs Ahead

Chennai Metro Rail has encountered significant losses amounting to Rs 254 crore due to the impact of Cyclone Michaung that struck the city earlier this month.

The cyclone caused damage to essential equipment, affecting both the existing Phase I project and the upcoming Phase II project.

The adverse weather, including heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding, impacted various tools and machines, from large cranes to point machines. Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials reported that the losses amounting to Rs 254 crore are partially covered by insurance, which accounts for nearly 80-85 per cent of the damages.

Despite the challenges posed by the cyclone, CMRL continued operating train services across the 54-km network in both phase I and phase I extension projects.

However, the aftermath of the cyclone requires repairs to equipment such as point machines, panels, station roofs, cranes, and gantry in the respective projects.

An official mentioned, "We are facing the task of repairing and fixing various equipment, but we are working diligently to restore everything as quickly as possible," reports The Hindu.

Additionally, the floods damaged many roads laid before the monsoon, and officials have initiated work to relay these roads within the next 10 days.

During the heavy rains and floods, commuters using the metro faced challenges accessing some stations and parking lots. For instance, Arumbakkam Metro Rail Station and St Thomas Mount Metro station experienced difficulties due to inundated access roads, making it hard for passengers to reach these facilities. Despite these challenges, trains continued to operate during adverse weather conditions.

Chennai Metro Phase I

Phase I of the Chennai Metro Rail project covers a length of 45.046 km network and consists of two corridors i.e. Corridor-I from Washermenpet to Airport (23.085 km), Corridor-2 from Chennai Central to St Thomas Mount (21.961 km).

About 55 per cent of the corridors in Phase I are underground and the remaining are elevated. Out of 32 stations 13 are elevated and the remaining 19 are underground. Inter-corridor interchange stations are available in Alandur (elevated) and Chennai Central (underground) respectively.

With a budget of Rs14,600 crore, the Phase I project work began more than 10 years ago. It was completed in stages, with the last portion from AG-DMS to Washermanpet opening to the public in 2019.

Chennai Metro Phase II

Phase II expansion has been planned for a length of 118.9 km network with 128 number of stations. It consists of three corridors — corridor-3 from Madhavaram to SIPCOT (45.8 km), corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamalle Bypass (26.1 km), and corridor-5 from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47 km). The estimated cost of the project is Rs 63,246 crore.