CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin is set to inaugurate the test run of the first driverless train set at Poonamallee depot by next week. This will be the first train set for the Chennai Metro Rail phase II project, which stretches to a total of 118.9 km.

The train set of the first driverless Unattended Train Operation (UTO) was completed and transferred by Alstom to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) in Sricity in late September.

However, after the completion of required testing at Alstom's Sricity region, the driverless train was delivered to the Poonamalle depot on October 17.

The three-car train will undergo further testing at the depot on the phase II track, which will commence after the inauguration by the chief minister, in the presence of Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.

"We have yet to confirm the exact date; it will likely happen next week," said a CMRL official.

The train will undergo various static and dynamic trials, followed by statutory safety verifications and approvals, which will aid to commence operations in priority corridor 4 (from Light House to Poonamallee Bus Depot).

The first operations in phase II will commence between Poonamallee and Porur Junction by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, the CMRL has awarded a Rs 1,215.92-crore contract for 36 driverless UTO train sets of three-car formation each (108 cars) for its phase II project to Alstom. SO more trains can be expected to arrive in coming months, as per CMRL officials.