METRO RAIL MANIA: Essay

METRO RAIL MANIA

Chennai city roads are already choking with traffic jam due to over population and more vehicles. Now this work at the center of many important roads for Metro Rail Link, adds woe to the urbanites. However, this may give one a sigh of relief after Metro Rail Link (CMRL) commenced.

Metro Rails are operative either underground or on elevated tracks. The first Metro rail was run in 1863 at London. It was Charles Pearson who struck with the idea! The few bogies were hauled by steam locos for about 4 miles distance. There were ventilations to let the smoke out.

Later, in 1980, Tube trains were run, powered by electricity. It is New York that specializes elevated Metro rail from 1904. In India, the first of its kind was introduced in 1984, known as Kolkata Metro. Like Chennai, other cities in India, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Jaipur give importance to it. In Chennai, it is expected to be opened for public utility by the end of this year, 2012. Delhi opened Metro rail link in 2002, while in Bangalore it became operational in Oct. 2011. A statistic says that over 150 cities in the world have Metro rail.

Unlike the regular train services and the dirty platforms, the metro stations are litter free with many museums. No emission, no foot board travel, no rail roko by agitating mob, no traffic signal, and without fear for rain, the commuters can travel as per the clock.

The digging of the road to lay the concrete pillars and slabs surfaces some odd things that interest the archaeologists! In some major cities worldwide, archaeologists discovered fossils and artifacts. At one place, a pyramid was found buried under the presently used road!

Whenever such discoveries are made, the archaeologists rush to the spot, put a hold on the work progress which causes delay, resulting in the postponement of the schedule day of its commissioning.

In Chennai, like MRTS, it will ease off the road traffic.

In the European countries, tube trains protected the soldiers in the World War II against air attacks.