Regular suburban train services not to resume till total normality is restored in Chennai

The services are now operated only during the non-peak hours, which affected thousands from suburbs who used them to commute to the city. “The situation is improving and this issue will be sorted out in the days to come,” said Southern Railway General Manager John Thomas, adding that the railway would resume regular operations as existed during the pre-lockdown period only after the restoration of total normalcy.

He said issues like commuters having to stand in the long queues due to lesser number of ticket counters and issuing of season tickets for regular passengers would also be resolved once normal service restarted.

To a query on safety, he said security has been enhanced at all MRTS stations and CCTV cameras would be installed in stations according to requirement to ensure passenger safety. “We have provided adequate security at all MRTS stations,” he claimed. The doubling of the Chennai Beach-Chennai Egmore project would be taken up at a cost of Rs 5 crore, completed in March 2024. According to John Thomas said as many as 27 projects costing Rs 30,961 crore for 3,128 km length fall fully or partly in Tamil Nadu. These are under the different stages of planning, approval and execution.

Nine new line projects covering a length of 871 km at a cost of Rs 11,988 crore, four gauge conversion works covering a length of 839 km at a cost of Rs 4,799 crore, and 14 doubling projects covering a length of 1,418 km at a cost of Rs 14,174 crore were taken up in the State.

He said Rs 60.54 crore has been allotted for Tambaram–Chengalpattu for third rail line, and added that the work would be completed this March.

“Sectional speed in Chennai–Gudur and Chennai–Renigunta route will be enhanced to 130 kmph by December 2021. Provision of the modern, centralised train control system in MGR Chennai Central-Gudur and MGR Chennai Central-Arakkonam-Renigunta at a total cost of Rs 351 crore will be taken up,” said the official. About 150 manned level crossing gates across the railway zone would be eliminated by March 2021 by way of constructing roads over bridges, roads under bridges and subways, John Thomas added.