Chennai: It’s been six months since Metro Rail’s service began in North Chennai but the depot at Wimco Nagar, was intended to maintain the train running on the route, not yet ready.
It should be completed this month but CMRL has now revised the deadline and aims to assign it in January 2022.
The depot is elevated, which is being built on a plot of 48,000 square meters with provisions to accommodate the 20-storey apartment complex with sea view in the future, is expected to be ready August this year after they could not meet the previous deadline in December 2020.
The construction of the depot began at the same time with a phase-1 9km extension line from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar in 2016.
While the line with seven stations opened in February 2021, work on the depot Pending because of Pandemic Kuncian last year.
About 70% of civil works and systems were completed earlier this year and officials confident to open it in August.
However, the deadline has been revised further.
A senior CMRL official said, “Civil works will be completed at the end of October.
The system work will be completed in December 2021 and the Depot will be assigned to January 2022.” From a land of 48,000 square meters, the depot is being built at 15,500sqm with facilities including automatic coach washing factories 1,055 square meters, 11 stabling lines, training and rest area for depot staff.
There will also be three levels for future property development.
Stable lines will be used for daily maintenance and train parking operated on the 32.1km corridor from Wimco Nagar to the airport through Anna Salai.
“Depot will only do small repair work.
The main maintenance work and repairs will be carried out in the Koyambedu Depot,” said an official.
A small station will also be attached to the depot for staff movements and people who can use complex-.officials apartments say part of the remaining land will have a four-level car park under the high depot and 20-floor building on the depot, which is possible It has a commercial or housing room to accommodate 4,000 families.
The apartment will have a sea view because the facilities are 600 m from the beach.
This will be built after completing the depot.
Service and maintenance of current CMRL fleets of 52 trains are carried out in the Koyambedu Depot.
This includes 10 new trains purchased for an extension path of 9 km.