Metro’s 1st underground section to be on tracks in two months

Talking to media persons on the side lines of the tunnel breakthrough at Chennai Central station, Singh said, “Certain documents have been sent to the commissioner of Metro rail safety.” They have not invited the CMRS for formal inspection, he quickly added. 

“Signalling work has been done. Trial runs are being conducted. It will be followed by CMRS inspection. Probably, the line would be commissioned in around two months,” he added.  

With Friday’s tunnel breakthrough, only 2.4kms of the total 36 km underground tunnelling work of the Metro network remains to be completed. Two tunnels roughly measuring 1.2kms from DMS and Thousand Lights has yet to be done, another CMRL officer said. 

The 3.4km-long tunnel completed on Friday runs from Washermanpet to Central Station. It was completed at a rate of 10 metres per day. Meanwhile, CMRL has also started laying tracks from Egmore to Central, which would be the last leg connectivity from Koyambedu to Central station via Shenoy Nagar. 

On Little Mount-Central section, CMRL has already laid the tracks from Saidapet to Nandanam. CMRL has set June 2018 as deadline to complete the entire 23km underground stretch or rather the 45km network.