Green signal for Royapuram

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Chennai, perhaps, got the best out of Wednesday’s railway budget with the ministry announcing the conduct of a feasibility study to make the 156-year-old Royapuram station the fourth terminal of the metropolis, a demand endorsed by most Tamil Nadu political parties.

Besides it was announced that five new trains would originate from here.

Presenting his maiden budget, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi announced the conduct of a feasibility study.

Also, he assured that the completion and commissioning of the long-delayed MRTS (mass rapid transit system) Velachery-St Thomas Mount stretch in 2013.

Welcoming the Royapuram station announcement, Mr T Rajkumar, TN Rail Passengers Rights Tribune, said the ministry should not merely stop developing three or four platforms at Royapuram, instead, the station should be developed in a full-fledged manner.

Royapuram station has land to develop 16 platforms and 400 metres is available at either end of the station, so it could be easily converted into a world-class terminus, Mr Rajkumar reasoned, appealing to the railway ministry to prepare a detailed project report soon and start the development of the infrastructure required for the station.

However, there were a few like SRMU general secretary N. Khanniah who opposed the Royapuram terminus proposal by arguing that there was not enough land to develop infrastructure there.

Like Chennai Central, Royapuram station is also cramped for space. It would be difficult to develop world-class railway infrastructure with the limited land available there, they argue.

Connectivity between the IT corridor and GST road would get the much needed fillip with the railway minister assuring commissioning of the MRTS line between Velachery and St Thomas Mount by next year.

The icing on the cake came with the announcement of 18 new suburban train services, which would include Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Beach-Avadi and MRTS services in Chennai city.