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Southern Railway had aimed to finish the work by March 2024, but now the construction of the Metro Phase 2 line above the MRTS track is expected to cause further delays.
It’s now been 18 years, but the 5-kilometre-long extension is still waiting to be completed. (Photo: Live Chennai)
The extension of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) from Velachery to St. Thomas Mount was first announced back in 2007 by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Despite nearly 18 years passing, the 5-kilometre project still hasn’t been complete, as per The Hindu.
Why is it getting delayed?
Initially, the work was delayed due to land acquisition issues covering just 500 metres, which were resolved a few years ago. However, the project has been hit by fresh delays — this time due to ongoing metro construction work above the MRTS tracks.
Southern Railway had earlier planned to finish the extension by March this year. A major girder installation in October 2023 had sparked hope. Around 100 engineers worked on placing huge girders, 50 metres long and 3 metres tall, to connect the MRTS line with St. Thomas Mount Metro station. To make this happen, suburban and long-distance trains had to be temporarily halted.
However, in January 2024, the final girder near Thillai Ganga Nagar subway collapsed, setting the project back once again. It was only last month that the girder was successfully installed, allowing the remaining work to continue.
A senior railway official has now said that a coordination meeting between Southern Railway and Chennai Metro will be held soon. After that, the remaining construction above the MRTS tracks near St. Thomas Mount station is expected to take around three months.
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