RailEnquiry

CHENNAI: A new station is set to come up on the Chennai Beach-Velachery Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) route.

Southern Railway officials said they expected to open the Mundakakanniamman Koil station, the 18th on the stretch, by the second week of April. "The building is ready, finishing touches are being given and commercial staff will be posted at counters in a few days," a senior official said.

The station, built following popular demand, is expected to benefit pilgrims coming to the famous Mundakakanniamman temple. About 80,000 people use MRTS services daily on the 19.34-km line.

Residents near the station welcomed the opening. "We have been waiting for it for long. A lot of people coming for temple festivals and students of P S High School, next to the station, will benefit," said Kumar Raj of Loganathan Colony.

Lakshmi Devi of Natchiyappa Street said there was a huge demand for MRTS trains because of high bus fares and traffic congestion.

Some said the new station was unnecessary. "The Thirumailai station is less than a kilometer away and I can't understand the logic of setting up another here," said Prakash Govind, an IT professional.

Many commuters complained about the poor state of MRTS stations and hoped the authorities would maintain the existing ones.