Chennai: Four months after Chennai metro rail’s first Phase-2 line between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani received approval for commissioning, passengers are still waiting for the trains to start running.
The 14.6km stretch on corridor-4, the first section of the 118.1km Phase-2 network to be completed, received conditional approval from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) in February, and another approval in May after CMRL complied with all stipulated conditions.
Sources said CMRL has sent a request to the Centre to finalise an inauguration date, but no announcement has been made so far.
The delay has pushed back what was originally planned as a December 2025 launch. CMRL later targeted March 2026 after obtaining the initial CRS approval, but the opening was deferred amid the assembly elections and formation of new government.
“We are ready for the inauguration. But no date has been fixed yet. We are expecting it to happen soon,” a metro official said.
The latest CRS approval removed restrictions imposed under the earlier clearance. Officials said trains can now operate at any frequency, though services are initially planned at 10-minute intervals. The approval also allows trains to run at a speed of 80kmph between Poonamallee and Porur, while the permitted speed between Porur and Vadapalani has been increased to 40kmph from the earlier 25kmph.
However, even when services begin, passengers will not be able to use all stations on the corridor. Six stations — Alapakkam, Karambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alwarthirunagar, Saligramam Warehouse and Saligramam — will initially be skipped as construction work is yet to be completed. Only the 10 stations between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction, along with Vadapalani, are expected to open in the first phase.
For commuters in the western suburbs, the delay means waiting longer for a line expected to cut travel time significantly and provide the first metro connectivity to several rapidly growing neighbourhoods.
“It takes 90 minutes to travel from Iyyappanthangal to Vadapalani. If the line opens, I can reach my destination in less than 45 minutes. It is already worrying that the overall construction is delayed, and the barricaded roads will not be free anytime soon. Why can’t CMRL at least open the ready line? Why are the Union and State governments not prioritising such key projects, putting the public to inconvenience,” asked L Ganesh, a resident of Iyyappanthangal.
