Chennai Metro Rail The Future of Our 
Chennai Metro Rail – The Future of our mass transport
Introduction
Cities are a matrix of functions and activity and at the helm of this activity is mobility. Before the intervention of automobiles commuting was slower and cleaner. But as the cities grew in numbers the need for commuting more people also grew. There has been a significant transformation in the urban transport sector in Chennai, from its earlier dependency on waterways to its current mode of rail and road transport. Since the Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) program under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) has enabled cities to upgrade their public transport systems, the aspiration of state and city governments has broadened to create a world class transport infrastructure laying hopes for a modern metro/ mono rail.
Kolkata was the first city in the country to have an underground metro rail primarily due to lack of adequate roads and congestion associated with the road transport. The traffic congestion in Delhi due to large number of private vehicles especially cars and the increasing air pollution forced the city to invest in the metro. The successful running of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has now inspired other metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to pursue this mode of public transport.
The option of these new public transport systems (Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), mono rail and metro rail) has given multiple choices to the cities. These options have been available for some time but the cities are adopting it only now due to easy access to finance, quicker decision making process, focus on urban areas and international move towards public transportation.
The city and its transport matrix
Chennai is the fourth largest city in the country with over 8 million people and a density of over 25,000 people per square kilometre.1 It has a rich colonial architectural history besides the native heritage buildings and a transforming
Introduction
Cities are a matrix of functions and activity and at the helm of this activity is mobility. Before the intervention of automobiles commuting was slower and cleaner. But as the cities grew in numbers the need for commuting more people also grew. There has been a significant transformation in the urban transport sector in Chennai, from its earlier dependency on waterways to its current mode of rail and road transport. Since the Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) program under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) has enabled cities to upgrade their public transport systems, the aspiration of state and city governments has broadened to create a world class transport infrastructure laying hopes for a modern metro/ mono rail.
Kolkata was the first city in the country to have an underground metro rail primarily due to lack of adequate roads and congestion associated with the road transport. The traffic congestion in Delhi due to large number of private vehicles especially cars and the increasing air pollution forced the city to invest in the metro. The successful running of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has now inspired other metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to pursue this mode of public transport.
The option of these new public transport systems (Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), mono rail and metro rail) has given multiple choices to the cities. These options have been available for some time but the cities are adopting it only now due to easy access to finance, quicker decision making process, focus on urban areas and international move towards public transportation.
The city and its transport matrix
Chennai is the fourth largest city in the country with over 8 million people and a density of over 25,000 people per square kilometre.1 It has a rich colonial architectural history besides the native heritage buildings and a transforming