After 14 months, MRTS service between Chennai Beach and Velachery set to resume from October 29

CHENNAI: The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) EMU services between Chennai Beach and Velachery, which were temporarily suspended from August 27, 2023 for the fourth line works between Beach and Egmore, will resume normal operations from today (Tuesday).

Currently, 45 trains on both sides start from Velachery at 4 am and go on till 10.20 pm. From Beach, services begin from 4.53 am and end at 11.13 pm.

The services between Beach and Velachery were truncated at Chintadripet to facilitate the works covering a distance of 4.3 km. The works were expected to be completed by April but they were delayed. One of the main reasons for the delay was land acquisition from the Navy, said a Southern Railway official.

Passengers travelling to Arakkonam from connecting areas like Avadi and Tiruvallur were worst affected due to the fourth line works as their connectivity to Central-bound trains were affected. The resumption of services would help them access Central and Park stations.

Naveed A, a daily commuter in MRTS from Adyar to Egmore, said: “The resumption of trains beyond Chintadripet is a big relief. After the trains were suspended at Chintadripet, there was a huge crowd in the MTC buses from Chintadripet to Central. Prior to the fourth line works, train frequency was around 15 minutes. It had become 25 minutes in the past one year which was a long wait for my daily commute.”

When contacted, a railway official in the St Thomas Mount and Velachery line said: “Works are expected to be completed by the end of this financial year. We’re hoping that the services will start by next April.”