CHENNAI: The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) has authorised the commissioning of the 14.6 km stretch in Corridor 4 of Phase II, from Poonamallee Bypass Metro station to Porur Junction and further up to Vadapalani, paving the way for the commencement of commercial services upon final approval from the Railway Board.
The CMRS has submitted the inspection report to the Railway Board and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for approval. Following clearance from the Board, Chennai Metro Rail Limited will be able to begin commercial operations on the first operational leg of Phase II.
According to an official release, Metro trains will run through 10 stations between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction, with an initial frequency of 15 minutes. Between Porur Junction and the Phase II Vadapalani Metro station, the CMRS has directed that only one train be operated in each direction at a time, at a speed of less than 25 km/h. This would translate to a frequency of roughly one train every 20 minutes on that stretch. The frequency is expected to be increased after the initial one-month period, the statement said.
The Commissioner has also stipulated that operations between Porur Junction and Vadapalani may commence only after the completion of 26 deck slabs in Corridor 5 in the double-decker section. The works are expected to be completed by March 25.
Speaking to DT Next, a senior CMRL official said, “As CMRS has submitted the report to the Railway Board with authorisation, we anticipate approval from the Railway Board at the earliest, perhaps by Tuesday. As far as operations are concerned, it’s likely that the Board will also levy the same conditions as the commissioner.”
“In case of the completion of the deck slab, we’re focusing on finishing the work before the deadline. We can approach the commission for relaxation and continue construction while operations are under way,” the official added.
When the operations begin, Metro trains at the said frequency will be operated from Poonamallee Bypass Metro to Porur, by halting in 10 stations; and, from Porur to Vadapalani Metro station, bypassing 6 stations in between.
From Vadapalani, passengers can disembark the train and walk across the foot-over-bridge (FoB) ‘Skywalk’ to connect to the existing Phase I Vadapalani Metro station.
We anticipate approval from the Railway Board at the earliest, perhaps by Tuesday. For operations, it’s likely that the board will also levy the same conditions as the commissionerA senior CMRL official