Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) will not take over the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in the near future.
Earlier, there was a plan that CMRL should take over MRTS in the initial stage itself but that had changed now. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) will jointly take over MRTS, an official of CUMTA said. “Initially, CUMTA and CMDA will oversee the operations and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed. After about seven or eight years, CMRL may take charge depending on the prevailing situation. The reason for this is, CMRL has been occupied with a few projects like Phase 2, preparation of feasibility reports for other cities and hence the plan was changed,” he said.
CUMTA is appointing a consultant by the end of this month which will prepare the asset statement and business plan for MRTS. The report will be ready by January and will be submitted to the State government. “This asset update and business plan will essentially contain the projected cash flow for the next decade, capital expenditure requirement, the passenger traffic and other such aspects,” he said.
He said there were plans to purchase new air-conditioned coaches for MRTS and operate the trains with both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned coaches, the official said.
“In the next two years, the primary objective will be to improve the stations so that passenger has a better experience. Eventually, both MRTS and Chennai Metro Rail system should function seamlessly to enhance mobility of commuters,” he added.
Published - October 06, 2023 09:25 pm IST
