Chennai MRTS is set for a phased safety and maintenance upgrade, with better lighting, additional security personnel and improved housekeeping expected at its 20 stations between Beach and St Thomas Mount by early 2027. The Tamil Nadu government is preparing to take over the system’s assets from Southern Railway, with a transfer agreement likely to be signed by the end of November.
An official from the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority said Southern Railway is expected to submit the valuation of land, buildings and other assets next week. The figures will be reviewed at the higher level before the state government signs the memorandum of understanding, the official said.
“Once they communicate the figures, it will be discussed at the higher level. The state govt will then sign the MoU,” the official said. “The first change we would make is to improve security, lighting and housekeeping.”
The proposed transfer covers more than 133 hectares of land and a wide range of railway assets, including stations, tracks, viaducts, signalling and telecommunications systems, and overhead electrification. A 90-day transition period will begin after the asset-transfer MoU is signed.
A separate agreement is being coordinated by CUMTA for the eventual handover of the MRTS system to Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. CMRL is expected to deploy personnel for security, ticketing, cleaning and housekeeping once it assumes responsibility for those functions.
The transition is expected to be gradual rather than an immediate overhaul. Lifts and escalators will be restored progressively, with procurement and installation expected to take about a year. Southern Railway will continue to operate and maintain the trains for 24 months because procuring new coaches could take about two years. Revenue arrangements will continue under the transition terms.
The CUMTA official said passengers should not expect every facility to improve immediately after the agreements are signed. “Public should not expect all facilities to improve from day one. In a year, passengers can expect visible results. In three years, we can expect metro station standards at MRTS stations,” the official said.
The planned changes follow renewed safety concerns at MRTS stations after the death of 55-year-old V Vijaya. Her body was found in a disused room at Thirumayilai MRTS station four days after she went missing on October 8. Police suspect she fell through an opening while looking for a toilet.
The Ministry of Railways approved the MoU between Southern Railway and the Tamil Nadu government in August, advancing a merger proposal that was first made in 2011. CUMTA is coordinating the related agreement for the eventual transfer of the system to CMRL.
The MRTS began operations in 1995 and is planned to become part of Chennai’s wider public transport network. The immediate milestones are Southern Railway’s asset valuation, the signing of the transfer MoU and the start of the 90-day transition period.
