Tamil Nadu government seeks assistance from Union government for MRTS revamp
The Tamil Nadu government has requested the Union government to fund a ₹6,600 crore 'MRTS Rejuvenation' project to upgrade Chennai's Mass Rapid Transit System. The proposal seeks to classify the initiative as a 'Central sector' project to share costs and facilitate the transition of operations to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
Why it matters
This project is critical for modernizing Chennai's aging urban transit infrastructure and improving commuter connectivity by integrating the MRTS with the more efficient Metro rail standards.
The Tamil Nadu government has written to the Centre seeking funds and loan assistance to revamp the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Chennai.
The State government has pitched this proposal as ‘MRTS Rejuvenation’ project with a request that it may be taken up as a ‘Central sector’ project, sources said. The estimated cost of the project is nearly ₹6,600 crore.
This move is part of the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to hand over the MRTS operations to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and upgrade the system.
Sources said the advantage of moving it as a ‘Central Sector’ project is that the equity part will be equally shared and external funding assistance will come through as well, if the project is approved. This will ease and avoid further burden on the State’s finances, sources added.
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