MRTS-Metro merger deal likely in the next few days
CHENNAI: A crucial meeting between senior state government officials and the Southern Railway on Monday has brought the long-pending proposal to merge the Chennais Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) with the Chennai Metro closer to fruition, with the two sides now aiming to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as early as next week. The proposed deal will operationalise the transfer of MRTS assets, operations, and maintenance from the Southern Railway to the state government and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a senior government official said. The meeting followed the railway boards in-principle approval in July to hand over the elevated suburban rail corridor to the state, clearing a major institutional hurdle in a proposal that has been debated for over a decade. Officials said the MoU text has largely been finalised, with only minor corrections pending. Both sides are keen to close it quickly. The discussions revolved on the takeover, the role of Southern Railway and the state government and also the valuation of the assets. It is almost a 10-page document. The railways will finalise the document, the official said. Once it is finalised, it will be discussed by the state, finance department and committee members. Once all are satisfied, then it will be sent back to the railways and after which the MoU will be signed, the official added. The takeover is expected to be implemented in phases over the next two years, paving the way for integrated operations, unified ticketing, and seamless passenger services under a single urban rail operator. CMRL plans to induct 25 air-conditioned broad-gauge rakes in the initial phase of its operation of the elevated transit system. The operating model will be similar to the Delhi Metros broad-gauge system, the official added. However, he refused to provide any details on whether the fares will be changed. He also said the MRTS line from Velachery to St Thomas Mount is nearing completion, and train services may start by January 2026. Political intervention helped accelerate the final clearance. Chief Minister MK Stalin raised the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a NITI Aayog meeting in May, following which the PMO asked the Railway Board to fast-track the proposal. By the end of July, the Board had endorsed the broad framework and principles underpinning the MoU, paving the way for the present round of coordination meetings. Under the transition plan, Southern Railway will continue to operate MRTS services during an interim period, while preparations for asset transfer and system upgrades are put in place. CUMTA, which is steering the integration, is drawing up station-specific detailed project reports to modernise the 18 existing stations and improve public spaces within a 100-metre radius of these stations. Officials say early, visible improvements such as better lighting, safer access, cleaner premises and stronger last-mile connectivity are intended to build public confidence even before the formal handover. Signalling upgrades and redesigned interchanges with metro corridors are also being prepared to enable coordinated timetables and, eventually, integrated ticketing across the network. Estimates of the cost vary. A 2018 study by PwC and Balaji Railroad Systems put the price of upgrading MRTS to metro standards at between Rs 2,800 crore and Rs 3,100 crore. While no updated figure has been disclosed, sources claim it could be above Rs 4,000 crore.
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