MRTS suspension: Officials looking at alternative plans

CHENNAI: The partial suspension of Chennai Beach –Velachery MRTS service which has been confirmed has led the officials to look at alternate plans for the commuters.

Southern Railway is suspending MRTS service from Beach station to either Chepauk or Chintadripet station from July 1 for a period of 7 months. As MRTS services won’t be available till January 31, 2024 to facilitate the laying of the fourth line between Beach and Park Town stations, officials are mulling alternate travel arrangements for commuters.

Officials of Southern Railway and the State Transport Department are set to meet in a couple of days to fix alternative transport arrangements. “Partial suspension of MRTS services will happen for sure. But we are yet to decide whether services would be stopped at the Chepauk or Chintadripet station,” Divisional Railway Manager Shri Ganesh told DT Next.

“We need to suspend the services to complete the works of the fourth line. But, train services from Velachery to Chepauk/ Chintadaripet would continue as usual,” he added. Shri Ganesh told DT Next that further decisions would be arrived at based on the meeting with state government officials.

Southern Railway has sent a communication to the Additional Chief Secretary of the State Transport Department in this regard, the DRM said. “I have written to them requesting alternate arrangements. The Special Officer of Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has also written to the Tamil Nadu Government in this regard. We will explore the alternatives (to be provided for the commuters),” he said

The DRM said that the state government officials would apprise them of the number of buses or other options they could provide as alternatives during the partial suspension of MRTS service. “Based on the options the state government provides, we will finalise whether to stop services in Chepauk or Chintadripet,” he added.