CHENNAI: The state government, which is in the process of taking over Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) operations from Southern Railway, will require about 300 m of a Greater Chennai Corporation road to double the single-track stretch between Chennai Beach and Chennai Fort, a senior state government official told TNIE.
This would cut the waiting time to Velachery and St Thomas Mount from 20-25 minutes to five to seven minutes. The stretch decides how often trains can run on the line.
The doubling is among the questions facing the merger of the MRTS with Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL), which is likely to be signed next month. Railways is expected to submit its figures by next week for the depreciated value of the assets to be transferred.
The railway board-approved MoU can be signed only after both sides agree on the valuation, the official added.
CMRL will need to reconfigure the track geometry of Southern Railway’s yard while using the corporation’s road (3-4 m wide) near the Beach station (opposite Madras High Court) and relocate some shops on the footpath or road-margin space.
The overall upgrade after the merger may cost Rs 6,000 crore or more, the official said, though it is unclear whether doubling is included in it.
CMRL has been briefed on a phased plan that includes taking over maintenance, installing lifts and escalators, upgrading stations, and preparing project reports for station facilities and their surroundings. Tenders are expected within about three months.
Within 90 days of signing, CMRL is expected to take over ticketing and specified station operations. A two-year transition is envisaged, during which existing railway coaches will keep running. A metro-style rolling stock could take 18-24 months to arrive.
There is no immediate proposal to raise fares, the official said. Modernising the MRTS means adapting existing infrastructure, and the works will have to be phased so that the line stays in service while it is rebuilt, the official added.
