CHENNAI: The ministry of railways has conveyed its approval for the proposed takeover of the assets, operation and maintenance of Chennai’s Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) suburban services by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. The board has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Southern Railway, the Tamil Nadu govt and Chennai Metro Rail Limited to this effect on Tuesday.As per the MoU, the handover is to take place within 90 days of execution, with Southern Railway continuing train operations and maintenance during a 24-month transition period.A separate MoU will be signed for handing over of MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail Limited by the state govt.The process for handing and taking over is being coordinated by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Authority (CUMTA).The MRTS network, comprising 20 stations from Chennai Beach to St Thomas Mount, will be integrated with the city’s broader public transport system to facilitate improved connectivity and seamless multimodal travel.
