After 17 yrs, Velachery-Mount MRTS extension hopes for a December launch
The 5 km extension project was launched by the then Chief Minister, late M Karunanidhi, in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 495 crore. The extension project will include two stoppages at Ullagaram and Adambakkam.
CHENNAI: After nearly 17 years of delay, the extended MRTS line between Velachery and St Thomas Mount will finally be operational in December.
A senior Southern Railway official told DT Next that the track linking works were completed, and the rail distressing is in progress. Rail distressing is the process of releasing built-up stress in long, continuous welded rails by making them stress-free at a specific, desired temperature.
"Machine packing and load deflection test is to be carried out on the track. The Overhead Electrification (OHE) is in progress and all works will be completed by next month," said the official.
The 5 km extension project was launched by the then Chief Minister, late M Karunanidhi, in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 495 crore. The extension project will include two stoppages at Ullagaram and Adambakkam. When the project was restarted in 2020, after a halt of 12 years, the estimated value grew to Rs 730 crore.
Madipakkam resident R Sathish noted that the railway line would greatly benefit residents of Pallikaranai and nearby areas. "They could even park their vehicles in the station and catch a train to the main areas in the city easily," he said.
Echoing the view, Traffic and Transportation Forum secretary V Ramarao noted that the delayed project would reduce travel time for a multitude of commuters. "If a person from Guduvanchery is travelling to RA Puram, they could interchange and go by train. With this extension, St Thomas Mount could become a multimodal hub with the Metro station and suburban line between Beach and Tambaram," he explained.
This project was announced alongside the inauguration of the Chennai Beach to Velachery services in 2007. Like most railway projects, land acquisition was a key issue that delayed the extension.
The issue was resolved a few years ago, and the girders were placed. And the final girder on the elevated stretch of line between Adambakkam and St Thomas Mount on Inner Ring Road collapsed last year, leading to another delay.
