Chennai MRTS Handover to Metro likely to be Formalised by December 2025

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

Chennai’s long-discussed plan to integrate its Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) with the city’s Metro network is likely  to advance in December 2025, when the Tamil Nadu government and Southern Railway are expected to sign a transfer agreement clearing the way for Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to take over the system.

The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority's (CUMTA) second authority meeting headed by Chief Minister M K Stalin has approved the memorandum of understanding (MoU) a procedural but critical step before the December signing that would bring Chennai closer to its goal of a unified, high-capacity public transport system.

The agreement now allows the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to formally transfer control of the elevated suburban line to CMRL for operations, maintenance and management, with the full transition scheduled for completion by December 2027.

"In the next two days, we will be having a meeting with the Railway officials where the MoU will be discussed. After getting the  nod, a government order will be passed after which the MoU will be finalised," said I Jayakumar, the special officer of Cumta.

The deal follows months of negotiation between the state and the Railways. A joint committee, comprising senior officials from Tamil Nadu’s finance and urban development departments, CMRL, and Southern Railway, resolved key issues including asset transfer, staff redeployment, financial liabilities and long-term maintenance obligations. These principles were submitted to the Railway Board in February 2024, with CUMTA and Southern Railway providing detailed responses to subsequent queries.

Political momentum has also played a role. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin raised the handover directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the NITI Aayog meeting in May 2025, after which the Prime Minister’s Office directed the Railway Board to fast-track the process. In July 2025, the Additional Chief Secretary for Housing and Urban Development met the Railway Minister and the Railway Board Chairman, pressing for expeditious approval. By the end of July, the Railway Board issued its in-principle nod for the transfer, including endorsement of the “broad framework and principles” for the MoU will be finalised

The MRTS, an elevated rail corridor connecting Chennai Beach to Velachery and soon to St. Thomas Mount, was built in phases under a 67:33 cost-sharing model between the state and Union governments. Despite being designed for 650,000 daily passengers, it currently carries only about 84,000, with experts blaming poor station access, limited feeder connectivity and lack of integration with other modes.

Transport planners say the takeover is expected to boost ridership through integrated ticketing, upgraded stations and coordinated timetables. “This will finally allow MRTS to function as part of a seamless multimodal network rather than a standalone suburban line,”sources said.

Factfile:
1. Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), chaired by the Chief Minister, approved the MoU
2. Tamil Nadu government and Southern Railway expected to sign transfer agreement by December 2025..
3. CMDA authorised to formally transfer control of the MRTS to CMRL.
4. Meeting with Railway officials planned in next two days; government order to follow before MoU finalisation.