CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail is all set to take the commuter experience to the next level by opening up shops and food outlets in the underutilized spaces across its network.
According to a report in The Hindu, over 14,000 square metres of area that lie vacant within 26 stations will soon sport new shops, restaurants and recreational outlets. Officials said that the initiative targets underutilized spaces, specifically at the street and concourse levels of the stations.
While some stations already have street-level shops, the concourse or ticketing levels have mostly remained vacant and underused. Since earlier there was not much of passenger footfall, the authorities did not focus too much on essential utilities like water and power connections.
However, with the rising number of travellers, the Chennai Metro Rail has recently completed the necessary infrastructure upgrades to ensure that the vacant spaces can be used for business.
The authorities have identified stations like Teynampet, Alandur, Vadapalani, Egmore and Wimco Nagar to develop the new infrastructure which is expected to boost the metro's revenue.
The CMRL officials have invited bids and with the licensing process underway, the contracts are expected to be finalized within the next three months. As of now, the infrastructure is expected to include a range of commercial ventures like co-working spaces, supermarkets and food and beverage outlets.
Once the upcoming Phase II network becomes operational, the authorities say they are anticipating increased passenger traffic which would benefit the retail spaces that are coming up in the stations.