CMRL holds trial run of last leg

A diesel locomotive was operated in the two tunnels (measuring 6.3 Meter each) which run below Anna Salai, Cooum River at Chintadaripet, Chennai Central, Buckingham Canal and suburban railway tracks. CMRL is currently installing overhead electrification, signalling, tunnel ventilation, platform screen door and automatic fare collection gates. CMRL would start operating four-car metro trains on the 9.5km stretch once electrification and signalling works are done. Metro had set December 2018 as the deadline to open route for public use. 

The section, which would connect the whole of Anna Salai to Airport comprises Thousand Lights, LIC, Government Estate, Chennai Central, High Court, Mannadi and Washermanpet stations. Once commissioned, the first phase would not only be complete but the two corridors (St Thomas Mount to Chennai Central via Koyambedu and Airport to Washermanpet) would be fully connected, thereby establishing metro link between areas on either side of Anna Salai and EVR Periyar Salai. 

Completion of the last stretchwould be a feat of a kind for CMRL given that the tunnel runs over 20 meters below the ground when it runs below Cooum River. The whole Washermanpet - Saidapet section was a challenge for CMRL, which had even terminated a couple of contracts to complete the work.

Russian Masmetrostroy had abruptly quit the job after it faced fund crunch in sustaining operations. CMRL had in fact split the station and tunnelling works to expedite the project, which, not so long ago, was falling behind deadline repeatedly once.