DMK’s stamp on Metro Rail indelible: DMK president MK Stalin

CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday said the party's role in establishing and expanding the Chennai Metro Rail network cannot be erased from history, as the Poonamallee–Porur–Vadapalani stretch is set to open to the public on October 11.

Drawing a parallel with Valluvar Kottam, Stalin said the DMK's contribution to the Metro project would remain an indelible part of history.

Recalling the project's origins, Stalin said the Metro Rail was conceived during former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's tenure, when he was Deputy Chief Minister. He said he had travelled to Japan to secure JICA funding for the project.

He said the first phase connected key transport hubs, including the airport, Chennai Central and Koyambedu, and became a major milestone in Chennai's public transport system. He also recalled how Metro Rail services helped lakhs of people reach safer locations during the 2015 floods.

Stalin alleged that the subsequent AIADMK government had initially sought to replace the Metro project with a monorail system. He said the second phase later slowed down and was expedited after the DMK returned to power in 2021.

Despite the Centre delaying its share of funding for more than three years, the State continued the works, he said. As of September 2024, the government had spent Rs 11,762 crore from its own funds and Rs 6,802 crore through foreign financial institutions, totalling Rs 18,564 crore, Stalin said.

He said he repeatedly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the Centre's share under the originally agreed 50:50 funding model, which was accepted in October 2024.

Stalin said the Poonamallee–Porur–Vadapalani stretch was targeted for completion by the end of 2025, but delays in Railway Board approval for signalling works and the subsequent Model Code of Conduct prevented its inauguration during the DMK's tenure.