Chennai Metro Phase 2 begins passenger services as 14.64-km corridor opens

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has opened the first operational stretch of its Phase 2 network, connecting Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani, marking a major milestone in the expansion of the city’s public transport system.

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the corridor on Sunday, October 11. The elevated stretch, which forms part of Corridor 4, covers 14.64 km and was built at an estimated cost of Rs 4,900 crore.

Works over Rs. 13,000 crore being launched in Chennai! https://t.co/76Uo9a3UaS

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2026

The corridor has 17 stations, but only 11 are initially open to passengers. The remaining six stations on the double-decker section between Porur Junction and Vadapalani are being bypassed at the initial stage. They are Alapakkam, Karambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alwarthirunagar, Saligramam and Avichi School.

Regular passenger services began at 4 pm on Sunday and were scheduled to operate until 9 pm. From Monday, October 12, services will run from 7 am to 9 pm, with the last trains departing from both terminals at 9 pm.

From Monday to Saturday, trains will operate every 10 minutes during peak periods, between 8 am and 11 am and between 5 pm and 8 pm. During non-peak hours, the interval will be 15 minutes. On Sundays and public holidays, trains will run every 15 minutes throughout the day.

The initial service will use 15 trains. Although the trains are designed for Unattended Train Operation, they will initially operate in Automatic Train Operation mode, with two operators onboard to supervise services.

CMRL plans to introduce fully driverless operations by mid-2027, subject to the completion of testing and the necessary safety certification.

The new corridor connects Chennai’s western suburbs to the existing Metro network at Vadapalani, where passengers can interchange with Phase 1 services.