Ministry of Railways gives approval for merger of MRTS train network with Chennai MetroRail Rly

Chennai, Aug 5 (PTI) In order to improve the integration of suburban mobility in greater Chennai area, the Ministry of Railways has accorded approval for the transfer of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS train network) of Chennai and its merger with Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), Southern Railway said on Tuesday.
    This long awaited decision will streamline the train operations and enable seamless intermodal connectivity in the city transport, it said.
    An official railway release said: "The approval follows a detailed presentation made by Southern Railway to Railway Board, recommending the proposal and subsequent deliberations in the meeting of full board held on 16 July 2025. The formal communication of the approval was issued on 31 July 2025."
    The approval entails the transfer of all infrastructural assets of MRTS including tracks, bridges, signalling, electrification, land, buildings, etc, as well as the operations and maintenance of MRTS services to the Government of Tamil Nadu/CMRL, for which a detailed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is under preparation.
    "The merger aligns with the public-centric vision of creating an upgraded, integrated, and sustainable urban rail transport ecosystem for Chennai region and a fine example of synergy between Railways and the Government of Tamil Nadu working in close coordination. The merger will provide seamless multimodal integration across Metro, MRTS, suburban rail networks and bus services in Chennai," the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)