When safety slips through a gaping hole in Chennai’s MRTS stations

When safety slips through a gaping hole in Chennai’s MRTS stations SUNDAY STORY A recent fatal accident at the Thirumayilai MRTS railway station has once again highlighted the huge gaps in the maintenance and safety of MRTS stations in Chennai. With the Railway Board giving the go-ahead for handing over the service to CMRL, this report throws light on what needs to be done left Eerie feeling: Vast areas of the Taramani MRTS station remain unused, and the station has become a hub of anti-socials.

B. Velankanni Raj B. VELANKANNI RAJ VELANKANNI RAJ B CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 23/10/2026: For TN Sunday Story: The vast station space of the MRTS being unutilized, it has become a place for anti-social activities A scene at Taramani MRTS Railway station on Thursday. Photo: Velankanni Raj B/ THE HINDU When the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) was proposed in the 1970s for Chennai, it was envisioned as the first mass public transport corridor to run on an elevated section in the country, years before the Metro Rail was even an idea in India.

In anticipation of good patronage, humongous railway stations were built in one go, along with various passenger amenities such as escalators, lifts, and toilets. Built in phases, the full MRTS service from Beach to Velachery was launched in November 2007. It was extended to St. Thomas Mount this year. The MRTS project, including the extension, had suffered delays of several decades.

MRTS train services begin on Velachery-St. Thomas Mount extended section MRTS train services begin on Velachery-St. Thomas Mount extended section People who reside in Nanganallur, Puzhuthivakkam, Adambakkam, Madipakkam, and adjoining areas will benefit from this service Three months after MRTS extension’s launch, halts at Adambakkam station yet to begin Three months after MRTS extension’s launch, halts at Adambakkam station yet to begin Stoppage provisions were not provided at Adambakkam due to a platform alignment issue that was detected during an inspection by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety.

An official says a design is being prepared and the work will be completed by July Futuristic model Envisioned as a futuristic model of mass public transport for easy and fast movement, the MRTS now stands as an example of poor maintenance, with passengers left with inadequate operational, civic, and security amenities. Particularly, on the security front, the MRTS has earned a bad reputation among women commuters after incidents of sexual assault and theft at a few stations, including Perungudi, Taramani, Thiruvanmiyur, and Indra Nagar.

Woman dies after falling through gap in second floor of Chennai’s Thirumayilai MRTS station Woman dies after falling through gap in second floor of Chennai’s Thirumayilai MRTS station The decomposed body was found four days after the incident. A post-mortem examination reveals fractures in the rib and spine, with the cause of death attributed to a blood clot near the heart CUMTA prepares detailed plan for upgrading city’s MRTS network ahead of CMRL takeover CUMTA prepares detailed plan for upgrading city’s MRTS network ahead of CMRL takeover It has formulated 12 measures and recommendations for the takeover, and shared them with CMRL; bids will be floated to rope in firms for security services and housekeeping; CMRL is also expected to replace malfunctioning lifts in MRTS stations, following which fresh train sets will be ordered Track tales The latest incident is the death of a 55-year-old woman at the Thirumayilai station.

The woman, Vijaya, a resident of Pallikaranai, had travelled on an MRTS train along with her daughter and got down at Thirumayilai on October 8. Wanting to answer nature’s call and finding the toilet shut, the woman tried to relieve herself by entering one of the many abandoned rooms on the platform. The room being pitch dark, she fell to her death through a huge gap on the floor.

Her body was found only after four days; that too, because of the foul smell that drew the attention of officers of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) station housed on the ground floor. Woman dies after falling through gap in second floor of Chennai’s Thirumayilai MRTS station storyline 1 Sprawling facilities Having built sprawling railway stations in the MRTS section, Southern Railway realised that it required a large workforce and huge funds to maintain the amenities.

So it drew up a security plan in 2013. It decided to close one of the two entrances at 14 elevated stations, including Perungudi, Taramani, Thiruvanmiyur, Indra Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Kotturpuram, and Chintadripet. It also closed the access ways leading to these entry and exit points on the elevated platforms with grill gates and shut several rooms on the platforms built for commercial units and vendors that remained empty.

Also Read: Issue with ticketing gate poses inconvenience to some Metro Rail commuters At the Thiruvanmiyur, Indra Nagar, and Kasturba Nagar stations, mezzanine floors, originally apportioned for commercial use, were closed with grill gates. Large, empty stations were soon being used by the homeless, especially at Perungudi, Taramani, Light House, and Thiruvallikeni. R.K. Prabhu, a resident of Baby Nagar in Velachery, who has been using MRTS services since the full services were launched, complains that anti-social elements take over portions of the Perungudi station at night for consuming alcohol and playing cards.

Though officials had shut down a portion of the station with concrete slabs, the wall has been broken open, and that space is still being used for drinking and dumping garbage. Regular commuters say that except at a few stations, toilets are not usable at all. Chennai Metro Rail services to begin at 6 a.m. on Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch Chennai Metro Rail services to begin at 6 a.m.

on Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch The revised timings will come into force from October 23, 2026 Chennai Metro Rail services to begin at 6 a.m. on Poonamallee-Vadapalani stret…