Chennai: MRTS extension project from Velachery to St Thomas Mount expected to finish by July
India Today
The MRTS Phase-II Extension project, which was initiated keeping in mind the exponential growth of Chennai city’s population, is likely to be completed by July.
The much-awaited Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) extension project from Velachery to St. Thomas Mount station I Chennai is expected to finally conclude by July this year.
The project which is a part of the second phase of the extension of a 5-kilometre track is being undertaken to add three more stations that will link the Chennai Metro corridors with the MRTS and suburban rail network. The three new stations to be constructed would be Puzhudhivakkam, Adambakkam and St Thomas Mount.
As per the report published by the Indian Express, the project which was announced in early 2008, by the then Chief Minister of State Shri M Karunanidhi, keeping in view the future growth in the population of Chennai city, is being completed by the state and the Centre with a 66.67:33.33 funding ratio.
The project, which is 65 per cent completed, has only a small portion left, which the officials at Southern Railways are hopeful of completing without much trouble.
Elucidating the importance of the project, B Guganesan, Chief Public Relation Officer of Southern Railways told the Indian Express, "The growth in population coupled with faster growth in the number of motorized vehicles in Chennai city poses a formidable problem to the city’s planners for providing a transport system which is quicker, safer, more economical and also pollution-free.”
Explaining the delay in the completion of this ambitious project, the official said that the only real hurdle in the completion was that of land acquisition. As per Guganesan, the proposed 5km stretch involved as many as 27 landowners who had all filed a writ with the Supreme Court in 2011 regarding the compensation they were being given for their piece of land.
"The matter reached the Supreme Court and based on a judgment, the landowners have been given their compensation in 2020,” Ganesan said.