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Patronage for MRTS will only increase: Velu

Special Correspondent

Steps will be taken to improve approach roads

CHENNAI: Patronage for the mass rapid transit system (MRTS) between Chennai Beach and Tiruvanmiyur has been encouraging and will increase substantially once the system is linked to St. Thomas Mount, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said here on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Velu said one reason for the poor patronage of the system was "inconvenient approach roads" to some of the MRTS stations between Beach and Thirumailai. He would inspect those stations with Chennai Division officials and take suitable steps to make them easily approachable.

(Chennai Divisional Railway Manager G.Naryanan, who was present on the occasion, said patronage for the MRTS was more than 100 per cent during the peak hours. It would improve further if the system were extended to Velacheri).

Inspection

The Minister, who earlier inspected platform improvement work at the Chennai Central station, said in the first phase, two platforms would be re-laid with imported concrete from Australia.

The main advantage of the imported concrete was that its curing period was less than a day and was easily replaceable. All platforms in the station would be re-laid with the new concrete structure at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs. Similarly, the roofing of the platforms was being renovated at a cost of Rs. 60 lakhs. He had directed station authorities to use only rubberised wheel trolleys to prevent damage to the platform.

Food plaza opened

Earlier, opening a food plaza at Park station, the Minister said the Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation would soon open a coffee plaza at the Central station. A corporation official said all food kiosks in the station would be replaced. The food plaza at Park station was expected to generate revenue of Rs 1.04 lakh a month.

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