CHENNAI: You will soon be able to play ball at Velachery railway station
Chennai: Sports enthusiasts and fitness freaks in the city may soon be one railway station away from getting a paid sports facility in their neighbourhood, as the Chennai division of Southern Railway (SR) has invited bids to set up indoor sports facilities at its stations. The facility could support anything from cricket, volleyball and badminton to basketball or even gymnasiums. The division has invited bids to build and operate a facility at the upmarket Velachery railway station as part of its monetisation initiative that will integrate fitness promotion and community engagement by utilising underutilised MRTS stations. The division has stated the aim of the project as promoting health and wellness, expert coaching, community engagement, revenue generation and community-friendly stations. M Bharath Kumar, senior divisional commercial manager, Chennai Railway Division, told DT Next that a space of about 24 x 11 metres is available on two sides of the station and they are looking to utilise this space, preferably by developing badminton courts in partnership with a private player. Terming it a pilot project, Kumar said, “The fee charged by the private company operating it should be moderate, equal to or less than the market price. We are looking for such facilities for all stations.” “We don’t want all stations to have the same facility. One station should have cricket, another station should have badminton or volleyball or archery or gym. Based on the feedback we get at Velachery, we will implement it at other stations as well,” Kumar said. Bids can be made between 15.30 hrs and 1600 hrs on July 21. The period can be extended up to 16.20 hrs depending on the response. For the first time in the zone, SR has taken up the latest monetisation initiative to put its sprawling MRTS stations to better commercial use. Earlier initiatives like engaging retail chains to open shops at MRTS stations a few years ago did not take off due to disappointing response from potential traders. Unlike the previous initiative, indoor sports facilities are easy to maintain, and they cater to a larger clientele.
