You could soon play ball at Velachery railway station

CHENNAI: Sports enthusiasts and fitness freaks in the city might soon be a railway station away from accessing a paid sports facility in their neighbourhood as the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway (SR) has invited bids to establish indoor sports facilities at its stations.

The facility could support anything from cricket, volleyball, and badminton to basketball or even a gymnasium, you name it. The division has invited bids for building and operating a facility in the upmarket Velachery railway station, as part of its monetisation initiative which would integrate fitness promotion and community engagement by tapping underutilised MRTS stations.

The division describes the project purpose as health and wellness promotion, expert coaching, community engagement, revenue generation and community-friendly stations.

M Bharath Kumar, senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Chennai Railway Division, told DT Next that about 24 x 11 metres space was available on two sides of the station and they want to utilise the space, preferably by developing a badminton court, in partnership with a private player.

Calling it a pilot project, Kumar said, “the fees charged by the operating private player must be moderate, at par or less than the market price. We are exploring such facilities for all stations."

"We don’t want all the stations to have the same facility. It should be cricket in one, badminton or volleyball or archery or even a gym in different stations. Based on the feedback we receive in Velachery, we will extend it to other stations," Kumar added.

The bids can be floated between 15.30 hrs to 1600 hrs on July 21. Based on the response, the duration could be extended up to 16.20 hrs. A first in the zone, SR has come up with the latest monetisation initiative to put its sprawling MRTS stations to better commercial use.

Earlier initiatives – like roping in retail chains to set up shops at MRTS stations a few years ago – did not take off due to underwhelming response from potential traders. Unlike the previous initiative, indoor sports facilities are easier to maintain, and they cater to a large clientele.