Chennai Metro Rail is set to open the first Phase-2 stretch from Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani, spanning 14.6km, after the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) issued the mandatory authorisation for commissioning.
CMRL said initial operations will come with restrictions. Trains will run every 15 minutes between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction stations.
On the Porur Junction–Vadapalani section, only one train in each direction will operate at a time, with a 20-minute frequency. Speeds on this portion will be capped at 25kmph, compared to the usual average of about 35kmph, taking the end-to-end travel time to around 35 minutes.
Passengers arriving at Vadapalani on the new line will need to use the skywalk to reach the Phase-1 Vadapalani station to board another metro train or to exit.
CRS approval also includes a condition that services between Porur Junction and Vadapalani can begin only after 26 deck slabs on the double-decker section of Corridor-5 are completed, which CMRL expects by March 25. Of the 17 elevated stations on this stretch, only 11 stations will open initially—10 between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction, along with Vadapalani.
