CHENNAI: The services on the long-pending Velachery-St Thomas Mount extension of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) will start from March 14, Southern Railway announced on Thursday.
The services, which were expected to begin around March 10 after the statutory inspection, were deferred as certain compliance works remained pending. Now, the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) has granted provisional authorisation.
During the inspection, the CCRS directed the removal of temporary construction supports (shuttering) at an obligatory span - a bridge section of the MRTS line above Chennai Metro Rail infrastructure. Railway authorities said the Chennai Division has since completed the required compliance measures and is prepared to begin operations.
Once the section is commissioned, 43 pairs of trains will operate between Chennai Beach and St Thomas Mount, two pairs of services between Chennai Beach and Velachery, and three pairs between St Thomas Mount and Velachery.
The extension will enable direct MRTS connectivity along the entire corridor, allowing trains to run between Chennai Beach and St Thomas Mount instead of terminating at Velachery.
The 5 km Phase-II stretch includes two intermediate stations at Adambakkam and Puzhuthivakkam. Its commissioning will also strengthen multimodal integration at St Thomas Mount, where MRTS services connect with suburban railway lines and the Chennai Metro Rail network.