Chennai Metro Phase 2: 14.64-km stretch ready but opening date still awaited

The first operational stretch of Chennai Metro’s Phase 2 network remains closed to passengers nearly seven months after receiving safety clearance, with Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) still awaiting confirmation of an inauguration date.

The 14.64-km Poonamallee Bypass-Vadapalani stretch, comprising 11 elevated stations, has completed the safety process required for commercial operations.

Sources told The Times of India that the CMRL was awaiting confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Initially, we were told the inauguration could happen at the end of Sept, but till Sept 21, there was no update. We think it may happen in the first week of Oct,” the source said.

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Officials indicated that the inauguration could be combined with other programmes during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s possible visit to Chennai. However, there was no confirmation of such a visit as of Tuesday.

The stretch received conditional provisional approval from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to begin commercial operations in February. CMRL subsequently complied with the conditions and received clearance with relaxations in train speed and frequency in May.

It is the first section of Phase 2 to be ready for passenger operations.

The stretch forms part of Corridor 4, which will eventually run 26.1 km between Lighthouse and Poonamallee Bypass.

Chennai Metro Phase 2 comprises three corridors with a combined length of 118.9 km.

The opening had earlier been delayed amid the state assembly elections. CMRL had planned a major inauguration with the prime minister opening the line.

In August, officials had also said the Chennai stretch might be inaugurated along with the Indore Metro corridor through video conferencing from New Delhi. That plan did not materialise.

Indore’s 11-km Priority Corridor-2 was eventually inaugurated on September 5 by Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal in the presence of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav.

For Chennai commuters, the delay means a Metro stretch that has already cleared the required safety process remains unavailable for passenger services.