Chennai: Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said a detailed memorandum of understanding (MoU) is being prepared by Tamil Nadu govt and the Railway Ministry for handover of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) to the state govt. Govt sources told TOI that a draft MoU is expected from Southern Railways next week. “The city will get improved MRTS to metro standards by Jan 2029,” said a senior govt official.
Vaishnaw’s announcement came in response to a query from DMK MP P Wilson regarding the status of the MRTS merger with CMRL and the reasons for the delay in signing the MoU. “In-principle approval for handing over the assets, operation, and maintenance of MRTS (suburban services) to the govt of Tamil Nadu has been accorded. In this regard, a detailed MoU is under preparation by the state govt and Ministry of Railways,” the minister said. While the state govt holds a 67% stake in the joint venture with Southern Railway, sources said the Tamil Nadu govt will need to pay 600crore-700 crore for the takeover. The signing of the MoU is likely by June, and the takeover is expected to take 24 to 30 months. Following the ministry’s in-principle approval in July, aimed at facilitating seamless intermodal connectivity within the city, a special joint committee was constituted. This committee, with the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) as convenor, was tasked with preparing the broad framework for the MoU.“Internal discussions are ongoing across eight railway departments, including electrical, civil, signal, finance, the construction organisation, and the divisional railway manager. Once the railways provide the concurred MoU to the state govt, it will undergo a further two-week discussion involving the finance and revenue departments, as well as CMRL. Subsequently, it will be sent to chief minister M K Stalin for approval,” said a govt official.The approval encompasses the transfer of all MRTS infrastructure. This includes tracks, bridges, signalling systems, electrification, land, and buildings. It also covers the operation and maintenance of the MRTS. “MRTS is a loss-making unit, but despite that, the state wants to take it over as it is an urban mobility measure to provide an improved public transport system integrating Chennai Metro,” the official said. Following the takeover, the govt also plans to introduce AC coaches for MRTS services.
