CMRL Floats Tender for 70km Water Metro Along Buckingham Canal

Chennai Metro Rail Limited has floated a tender to prepare a detailed feasibility report and detailed project report for a proposed 70-kilometre water metro corridor along the Buckingham Canal, connecting Ennore to Mahabalipuram.

The planned water transit network is designed to establish a north-south public transport corridor linking at least 18 key locations across the metropolitan region, including Kotturpuram, Thiruvanmiyur, Foreshore Estate, Chepauk, Basin Bridge, Tondiarpet, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Navalur, Muttukadu, and Kovalam.

According to CMRL officials, the feasibility report and detailed project report will be prepared over an eight-month period. If found viable, the project would become India's second water metro system after Kochi. The proposed network will feature facilities similar to the existing metro system, including air-conditioned boats, passenger waiting halls, automated fare collection gates, and dedicated security.

CMRL plans to integrate the water corridor with its Phase I and Phase II metro lines, MRTS routes, Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus routes, and suburban rail networks. Planned intermodal connections include exclusive walkways linking water metro stops with MRTS and metro stations at multiple points, including Kotturpuram and Thiruvanmiyur.

The study will assess commuter demand, ridership projections, flood conditions, navigation requirements, passenger terminal locations, engineering designs, and financial viability. The project report will also determine station counts, vessel specifications, and overall project costs.

Canal restoration and sewage mitigation will be central to the project. Local civic bodies will be tasked with plugging sewage outfalls and executing canal restoration, while CMRL will implement the transit infrastructure. The 448-kilometre Buckingham Canal includes the South Buckingham Canal section running through Chennai, which connects directly with the Adyar and Cooum rivers.

The initiative follows state budget announcements aimed at restoring the Adyar and Cooum rivers for navigation, alongside historical attempts to establish water transit on city canals dating back to 1967 and 1973.