CHENNAI: Much to the delight of passengers, an 18-year wait came to an end on Saturday as train services commenced on the St Thomas Mount-Velachery MRTS section.
Besides enhancing train connectivity for Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Thillai Ganga Nagar and nearby areas, the launch of the service also provides a connection between the southwestern suburbs and central city areas such as Mylapore, Triplicane, Chepauk, RA Puram, Adyar, and Thiruvanmiyur. With this new link, passengers travelling from Chengalpattu, Maraimalai Nagar, Guduvanchery, and Tambaram can now reach destinations in South Chennai including Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, and Mylapore and vice versa, by changing trains at St Thomas Mount station.
On the first day of operations, hundreds of passengers used the service. However, despite being a terminating station, the two platforms (platform 1 and 2) located on the first floor of St Thomas Mount station have not been connected by a foot overbridge or a pedestrian link.
Most trains heading to Chennai Beach arrived at and departed from platform 1. If a train arrived at platform 2, passengers had to walk to the end of the platform and cross the tracks to access the other platforms.
Unlike the Velachery MRTS station, no foot overbridge has been constructed as the metro station was located in the upper level of the MRTS station.
Since 10 am, trains running from Chennai Beach to St Thomas Mount experienced delays of about 15 to 20 minutes. This was due to the MRTS line operating on a single track between Chennai Fort and Chennai Beach.
Additionally, speed restrictions of 15 kmph have been imposed at major curves and at points where trains transition from ground level to the elevated corridor near Velachery and other locations along the Mount-Velachery section. A large number of railway staff have been deployed at MRTS stations to assist passengers in reaching the suburban and metro stations.
S Sukumaran, a resident of Puzhuthivakkam, said, “We have been waiting for these train services for several years. Earlier, we had to rely on cabs and autorickshaws to reach Chennai Egmore or Tambaram to board a train. Now, with a single ticket, we can travel directly to Tambaram.”
Another passenger, S Sugirtharani, said, “I used to travel from Thiruvanmiyur to Guindy by cab to reach Tambaram, and sometimes I would go to Alandur metro to reach Thirumangalam. Now, travelling from Thiruvanmiyur MRTS to Tambaram and Vadapalani is hassle-free and much more affordable.”
A railway official from the Chennai division said a few minor works recommended by the commissioner of railway safety are currently under way at Adambakkam station.
The official added that these works will be completed in a few days, after which train stoppages will be provided at the station.
Work on the 4.5-km MRTS extension from Velachery to St Thomas Mount station began in 2008. However, the project faced prolonged delay due to litigation over land acquisition, construction hurdles and alignment of MRTS station with metro rail phase II and other related works.