Chennai Metro Rail To Operate Trains Every 6 Minutes On Poonamallee-Porur Stretch. Here's How It Will Work Out

Chennai: The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has announced that it has plans to operate trains on six-minute intervals on its Poonamallee to Porur stretch of the phase II project during peak hours. The Chennai Metro is set to start operations on this nine-km stretch of Corridor 4, which connects Poonamallee to Lighthouse via Porur, from January 2026. The Railway Board, on Wednesday, finally issued the in-principle approval to CMRL for the signaling system to operate this stretch.

In this context, Republic takes a deep dive into this project and understand how the operations might play out next year.

Driverless Trains, 30 Operators

CMRL operators have stated that 13 three-coach trains will be operated on the Poonamallee to Porur stretch with around 30 operators on its roster. Officials informed that though these trains would be driverless eventually, the transition would be implemented gradually.

Will This Be The Most Frequented Stretch?

The Chennai Metro already operates 45 four-coach trains every six minutes during peak hours in the 54-km stretch under Phase I and Phase I extension. On shorter stretches, like the one between Washermanpet to Alandur, the trains even run at three-minute intervals. On the routes between Chennai Central to Chennai airport, and Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount, trains run every 12 minutes.

Who Will Operate These Trains?

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation won the CMRL’s contract to manage the 118.9-km phase II network in Chennai. The Delhi Metro will take over the station facilities soon. Reports indicate that these operators are currently undergoing training, and trial runs are under way.

What About The Metro Stations?

According to a Metro official, the stations on this stretch will be compact unlike the phase I stations, enabling passengers to reach the platforms faster. Metro commuters can keep using their National Common Mobility Cards and the QR Code tickets functional across the phase I network.

ADB Approves USD 240 million loan

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 240 million loan under the second tranche of the Chennai Metro Rail Investment Project for expansion of the metro rail network. This tranche is part of ADB's USD 780 million financing facility for the Chennai Metro project, approved in 2022. The recent approval follows the initial USD 350 million loan released under the first tranche.

According to reports, this new financing will support key sections of metro lines 3, 4, and 5, which will cover 20 kilometers of elevated and underground corridors. 18 new station will also be constructed under the current project which will be equipped with universal access features and disaster-resilient infrastructure.

ALSO READ: Namo Bharat Metro To Connect Delhi & Noida Airport | Check Full Routes Here