Southern Railway plans to resume MRTS services to Beach from November first week

The MRTS services operated from Velachery to Beach railway station were truncated at Chintadripet to facilitate construction of fourth line project between Egmore and Beach from August last year. Only a few civil works — paving of platforms and refurbishment of foot over bridges (FOBs) — are pending in the two railway stations of Park and Fort, says official

The Southern Railway has planned to resume Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) services from Chennai Beach by first week of November. The MRTS services operated from Velachery to Beach railway station were truncated at Chintadripet to facilitate the construction of the fourth line project between Egmore and Beach from August last year. 

M. Senthamil Selvan, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Southern Railway, confirming the resumption of MRTS services from Beach said there were plans to resume the services from November first week as only a few civil works — paving of platforms and refurbishment of foot over bridges (FOBs) — were pending in the two railway stations of Park and Fort. 

The truncation of MRTS services at Chintadripet had put hundreds of commuters and office-goers in severe hardships, as commuters from as far as Arakkonam and Tiruvallur, used the direct MRTS services. 

The Southern Railway had in August this year announced that the delay in obtaining permission from the Navy was the cause for the delay in the completion of the fourth line project as well as the resumption of MRTS services. 

Mr. Selvan said small issues, with respect to the landing of FOB in the Park and Fort stations, were holding up the resumption. Now that the work was almost completed, MRTS services would be resumed. Also the fourth line project work from Egmore to Beach is expected to be completed by November, he added. 

The Southern Railway has been executing the crucial fourth line project from Beach to Egmore, which was pending for several years, at a cost of ₹274 crore. Once the fourth line is commissioned, the Southern Railway will have the flexibility to operate more long distance trains from Egmore and Tambaram. 

Published - October 08, 2024 07:58 pm IST