Tamil Nadu Set To Hand Over Suburban Rail To Chennai Metro, Comprehensive Mobility Plan To Be Rolled Out

The Tamil Nadu government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Railways in December this year for Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to assume control of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), according to The Hindu report.

The takeover is scheduled to be completed by December 2027.

At a high-level meeting on Monday (22 September), the state government gave in-principle approval for the MoU, which will assign the responsibility of operation, management, and maintenance of the MRTS to CMRL.

The government also approved the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chennai, which is expected to be rolled out within the week, sources said.

“The minutes of the meeting on the Comprehensive Mobility Plan have been drafted and sent to the government... The next round of discussions with the Railways will be held later this week or early next week,” a source was quoted as saying.

The Railways had been deliberating on the MRTS takeover for years before granting approval in July this year.

Since then, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has been actively coordinating with the Tamil Nadu government, CMRL, and the Railways to accelerate the project.

CUMTA and CMRL are also finalising the detailed project report to facilitate a smooth transfer of operations.

Commuters have long demanded the move, arguing it will address persistent inefficiencies in the MRTS.

Originally designed to handle 6.5 lakh passengers daily, the system currently carries only around 80,000, highlighting significant underutilisation.

With CMRL’s takeover and the implementation of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, authorities aim to enhance operational efficiency, improve passenger amenities, and ensure seamless connectivity within Chennai's urban transport network.

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