Chennai Metro Rail to take over MRTS, begins inspection of stations

Chennai Metro Rail to take over MRTS, begins inspection of stations

In a significant development, Chennai Metro Rail will take over Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in future and as a first move, steps are afoot to explore how the stations can be improved.

While the official agreement between the State government and Southern Railway to this effect will still have to be signed, the preparatory work to look at ways to upgrade the stations has just begun.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they have started inspecting the MRTS stations in a bid to see how they can be upgraded and what facilities should be added. Depending on when the approval comes, the station improvement work will be taken up.

“We inspected two stations — Thirumayilai and Tiruvallikeni - as a sample and we plan to appoint an agency who will carry out a study and give us an assessment about how to upgrade the stations. After we give the agency the guidelines, they will draft how each of the stations can be made better. From lighting to security to passenger amenities, everything will change. The idea is to bring these stations to CMRL standards,” an official said.

The take over will be a long process and initially, Railways will continue to operate the trains for a year, another official said. This is because the station upgradation work itself is likely to take at least a year after CMRL gets the go-ahead.

“Eventually, the plan is to not only improve the stations but also the other related amenities. We will also have to draw up plans to improve their systems and bring in air-conditioned coaches for trains. Travelling through MRTS trains will be a much better experience for commuters when this process is completed,” the official said.