Safety inspection of MRTS extension to St. Thomas Mount completed

Safety inspection of the MRTS extension to St. Thomas Mount is completed, paving the way for its commissioning.

The Mass Rapid Transit system (MRTS) extension project from the Velachery to St. Thomas stations is set to be commissioned as the final procedure to obtain the safety certificate was completed on Thursday. At present, the MRTS is operated between Chennai Beach and Velachery railway stations.

Janak Kumar Garg, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS), New Delhi, carried out the four-hour inspection of the newly constructed MRTS extension section in accordance with the provisions of the Railways Act, 1989, and the rules governing the opening of railway lines for the public carriage of passengers.

A. Elumalai, Public Relations Officer of the Chennai division, said the CCRS, as part of the inspection, carried out a motor trolley examination from the St. Thomas Mount to Velachery stations to assess the safety of the operation of the electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains on both the up and down lines. The inspection covered track structure, ballast profile, alignment, gradients, riding quality, bridges, elevated structures, traction installations, working of the signalling and interlocking systems, and other safety-related infrastructure to verify compliance with the prescribed safety standards.

A speed trial run was conducted between Velachery and St. Thomas Mount by Shri Janak Kumar Garg, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) as part of the statutory inspection of the section.#MRTS#Speedtrail#SouthernRailwaypic.twitter.com/2rfTFpA2kT

After the inspection, Mr. Garg conducted speed trial runs on both lines using a nine-car AC EMU rake, which was fitted with the OMS-2000 track recording equipment. The trials were undertaken to evaluate oscillation characteristics, braking performance, track geometry, signal visibility, and system synchronisation under operational conditions of the EMUs.

The CCRS also visited the two new railway stations of Puzhuthivakkam and Adambakkam located between the Velachery and St. Thomas Mount stations to check structural integrity, passenger circulation area, and accessibility features. He specifically inspected the St. Thomas Mount railway station, which is on an elevated corridor above the Metro Rail station, to appraise the interchange between of the MRTS, suburban railway, and Metro Rail services for commuters.