Inching closer to reality: Chennai Metro Rail’s takeover of MRTS reaches last stage of approval at Railway Board

In a significant development, the long-pending project to transfer the management of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has reached the last stage of approval at the Railway Board, sources said.

For the first time in over a decade after the idea was mooted, it has inched very close to obtaining final approval. “All the departments in the Railway Board have given their nod. The project lies with the Chairman now; if he clears it, it will go to the Union Minister of Railways,” a source familiar with the development told The Hindu.

The chances of the project getting cleared seems pretty promising, the source added. A decision is expected soon and will be communicated to the Tamil Nadu government.

This project, which was sent to the Railway Board and was in abeyance for more than a year, received an impetus recently. After Chief Minister M.K. Stalin gave a memorandum containing a slew of proposals, including one for ‘Transferring Chennai’s MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL)’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the NITI Aayog meeting in May, the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly gave a direction to the board to expedite the project. Following this, some queries were raised to Southern Railway, and they were answered immediately as well.

If this project approval comes through, CMRL must chalk out a detailed plan and prepare a report on the takeover process and how it will maintain the stations, its systems, and trains. The transition may be a gradual one, extending up to many months.

T. Sadagopan, an activist who travels regularly on MRTS, suburban, and Metro Rail systems, said many had been looking forward to CMRL’s takeover of MRTS. “Everything from the upkeep of stations and trains or the approach to the station will change for the better if CMRL manages MRTS. And, the stations will feel safer as well for commuters like me. But CMRL should ensure MRTS continues to be affordable to everyone since lakhs of people depend on it,” he added.