Chennai Metro Rail's MRTS takeover nears completion
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Chennai Metro Rail's MRTS takeover nears completion

The proposal for Chennai Metro Rail to take over the Mass Rapid Transit System has been sent to the Railway Board for its in-principle approval.

Although the plan was suggested more than a decade ago, it has only now reached the final stage.

An official from the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) mentioned that the proposal had been sent some time ago. The land management directorate had positively recommended it and forwarded it to the finance department, which raised a few queries to the Southern Railway regarding the cost breakdown. The official expected the Southern Railway authorities to respond to these queries within 2-3 weeks. Following this, they would wait for the in-principle approval of the Board, which they anticipated would come by July.

According to the plan, the railway authorities would run the train services during the initial period while Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) would focus on developing the stations and enhancing the station facilities.

Once the in-principle approval from the Board was received, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed to initiate the process of taking over MRTS. Subsequently, CMRL would form a special purpose vehicle to manage and operate MRTS.

After the MoU was signed, tenders for the commercial development of stations would be floated, a process that could last more than a year. The only remaining detail to be finalized was whether the trains would be entirely air-conditioned or have a few air-conditioned coaches in each train. This discussion was still on-going between CUMTA and CMRL. After the coaches were ordered, it might take about one and a half years for them to arrive.

The proposal for Chennai Metro Rail to take over the Mass Rapid Transit System has been sent to the Railway Board for its in-principle approval. Although the plan was suggested more than a decade ago, it has only now reached the final stage. An official from the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) mentioned that the proposal had been sent some time ago. The land management directorate had positively recommended it and forwarded it to the finance department, which raised a few queries to the Southern Railway regarding the cost breakdown. The official expected the Southern Railway authorities to respond to these queries within 2-3 weeks. Following this, they would wait for the in-principle approval of the Board, which they anticipated would come by July. According to the plan, the railway authorities would run the train services during the initial period while Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) would focus on developing the stations and enhancing the station facilities. Once the in-principle approval from the Board was received, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed to initiate the process of taking over MRTS. Subsequently, CMRL would form a special purpose vehicle to manage and operate MRTS. After the MoU was signed, tenders for the commercial development of stations would be floated, a process that could last more than a year. The only remaining detail to be finalized was whether the trains would be entirely air-conditioned or have a few air-conditioned coaches in each train. This discussion was still on-going between CUMTA and CMRL. After the coaches were ordered, it might take about one and a half years for them to arrive.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Products

Koemmerling opens Navi Mumbai experience centre

Koemmerling, a brand of the profine Group, has expanded its presence in the Mumbai metropolitan region with the opening of a new experience centre in Navi Mumbai and launched its Allure S46 minimal sliding door system for the Indian market.Located in CBD Belapur, the facility was inaugurated by Peter Mrosik, Owner and CEO, profine Group, along with Farid Khan, Chairman and Managing Director, profine India, and Kamal Bajaj, CEO, profine India.The company said the new centre will showcase its portfolio of uPVC and aluminium window and door systems to architects, developers and homeowners.The ina..

Next Story
Products

India's waterproofing market nears Rs 150 bn milestone

India's waterproofing industry is approaching a market size of Rs 150 billion and is expected to surpass the $2 billion milestone, according to speakers at the 2nd India International Waterproofers Conference & Expo 2026 organised by the Waterproofers Association of India (WAI) in New Delhi.The two-day event brought together more than 20 speakers, 55 international delegates and 53 exhibition booths, with discussions focusing on climate-resilient construction, advanced waterproofing technologies and international collaboration.Inaugurating the event, Durga Shanker Mishra, former Secretary, ..

Next Story
Real Estate

Dilip Buildcon Q1 FY27 Revenue at Rs 23.78 billion

Dilip Buildcon Limited reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 2,378 crore in Q1 FY27, along with EBITDA of Rs 429 crore and profit after tax of Rs 128 crore.Consolidated EBITDA margin stood at 18.1%, improving from 17.1% in Q4 FY26. On a standalone basis, revenue from operations was Rs 1,930 crore, EBITDA stood at Rs 199 crore and PAT was Rs 39 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 10.3%.The company’s order book stood at Rs 27,691 crore as of 30 June 2026, compared with Rs 28,830 crore as of 31 March 2026. Roads and highways accounted for 17.1% of the order book, irrigation and water ..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement