With air-conditioned trains, MRTS to be on a par with Metro Rail
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has begun preliminary work, and will soon float bids for purchasing air-conditioned train sets for the MRTS network, and for upgrading the stations, sources said.
Even if CMRL floats the tenders in a couple of months, it will take at least 18-24 months for the trains to be manufactured and delivered to the city, they added.
The trains will likely be operated every seven minutes, and the signalling system will be switched to communications-based train control (the same system to be deployed in CMRL's phase II network), a source said.
'Significant overhaul'
'The State government feels that introducing air-conditioned coaches, improving the frequency, and revamping the stations will be a significant overhaul of the MRTS network, and enhance passenger comfort. The entire ecosystem will change, and monetising the spaces subsequently could fetch revenue. This will take a couple of years,' the source said.
When asked if the fare structures would be revised, the sources said a decision would be taken later. Railways will continue to operate the network for two years. The fare structures will be finalised around the time the CMRL takes full control of the operations, the source said.
Besides, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed between the Government of Tamil Nadu and Railways is getting ready. The first draft has been completed, and the initial round of discussion with the Railways is under way. If the consensus is reached soon, then, the MoU will be signed before the end of September, officials said.
Many commuters are glad about the CMRL's takeover of MRTS, but want the fares to be reasonable.
'Lifts dysfunctional'
S. Jayalakshmi, a resident of Adyar who frequently takes the MRTS trains, said, 'Most of us have had faced problems at the MRTS stations, which wear a dingy look. On many occasions, I have seen the lifts and escalators dysfunctional in some stations; the stations also stink sometimes, causing a lot of discomfort.'
'People are set to gain from upgrades such as air-conditioned trains and improved frequency. But the fares should be revised, keeping in mind the poor. Thousands of lower middle-class and the poor use the MRTS system. They can continue to travel if the fares are reasonable,' she added.
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