The construction of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Phase 2 Extension Project from the Velachery to St. Thomas Mount railway stations is finally set to be completed by the end of July. However, the full commissioning of the MRTS project will be completed only by the end of this year as a portion of track for the Metro Rail Phase 2 Project, which extends from St. Thomas Mount and crisscrosses the Adambakkam railway station, is yet to be completed.
The MRTS Phase 2 Project completed between Chennai Beach and Velachery and inaugurated by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in November 2007, was proposed to be extended to the St. Thomas Mount railway station. But the extension project covering 5 km was caught up in legal wrangles for several years due to land acquisition for a 500-m stretch. This land was finally acquired, and the work started a few years ago.
B. Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway, said since the Metro Phase 2 line crosses the MRTS stretch for 500 m between the St. Thomas Mount and Adambakkam railway stations, the work would be undertaken jointly by the Southern Railway and Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
In connection with the Metro Phase 2 work, CMRL will use the completed portion of the MRTS structure to erect their track span and portal beams. An integrated station building for both MRTS and CMRL has been constructed for seamless connectivity with existing suburban networks. The work is expected to be completed by the end of this year, he added.
Once the construction is completed, the Southern Railway will request the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle (Bengaluru), to inspect the tracks and give approval for operation of services.
The MRTS Phase 2 Extension Project, covering a route length of 5 km, has been approved by the Railway Board at a revised sanctioned estimated cost of ₹734 crore. The cost of the project is shared by the Indian Railways and the State Government in a 1:2 ratio.
