Prime Minister Modi officially inaugurated the first operational stretch of the Chennai Metro Phase II project on Sunday, unveiling a 15-kilometre elevated section linking Poonamallee and Vadapalani. Built at an estimated cost of 4,900 crore rupees, this new corridor represents a significant leap forward for urban transit in the region, connecting the western suburbs directly with the city centre.
After a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Porur Bypass Road metro station, Prime Minister Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay flagged off the inaugural train services in the presence of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Proving the operational readiness of the transit expansion, the leaders purchased tickets via digital payment channels and took a maiden rail ride together from the Porur Bypass station to the Poonamallee Bypass station and back.
Falling under Corridor 4 of the broader master plan, the newly opened alignment features 11 elevated stations and incorporates a unique 3.7-kilometre double-decker structural layout.
The route is integrated with highly advanced signalling infrastructure specifically built to support autonomous, driverless train operations in subsequent phases of the network’s deployment. Regular passenger operations on this corridor commence today, cutting down daily commuting times along the high-traffic Poonamallee–Porur corridor and serving as a key component of a larger 13,000 crore rupee infrastructure development package dedicated to Tamil Nadu.
News Edit KV Raman
