Chennai: If all goes as per plan, Chennai Metro Rail Limited will start passenger train operations from DMS till Washermenpet by January end, thus successfully completing Phase 1 of the project.
The extension line from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar in Thiruvoyttityur will be operational by March 2020, CMRL said.
Minister for Industries, Steel Control and Special Initiatives, MC Sampath and Chennai Metro Rail Managing Director, Pankaj Kumar Bansal inspected the 10 km Teynampet AG DMS-Washermenpet underground line today, that is soon to be open for passenger service.
The Minister inspected the last stage construction work and the test train which will be used for trial runs to evaluate the safety of the underground line. CMRL officials said that test runs in the AG DMS to Washermenpet underground tracks began today and full-scale operations will start before January end.
The Phase 1 construction started in June 2009 and the first Metro rail service in Chennai became operational in 2015. At present, there are two lines operating in Phase 1: Airport – Central via Koyambedu and Airport to Teynampet DMS. Plans to connect these two lines are finally coming to an end with the completion of track work from DMS to Washermenpet via Chennai Central.
Once phase 1 is complete, passengers taking Metro train will be able to do a round trip around Chennai: Airport – Koyambedu – Central- AG DMS – Alandur -Airport.
An official source said, “The Teynampet AG DMS – Washermanpet tunnelling and construction work got over in September. We started an initial test run using diesel engine trains. Now, electrical work and signal work are complete along the track and testing phase with electric metro cars have begun today. Signal tests will also be carried out simultaneously.”
“Once the test run is complete, Rail Safety Commissioner will give speed certification clearance after inspecting the lines by operating high-speed trains and after checking whether the signals software and sensors are working properly,” CMRL source said.
Phase 1 extension
With phase 1 inching towards completion, CMRL has gradually shifted focus to the 9-km phase 1 extension that links Washermanpet with Wimco Nagar, Thiruvottityur. Sources said the contract for the track work has been awarded to Apurvakriti Infrastructure Private Limited and would take about a year to complete.
Nine stations at Washermanpet, Korukkupet, Sir Theagaraya College, Tondiarpet, Toll Gate, Thangal, Gowri Ashram, Tiruvottiyur and Wimco Nagar, will come up according to the phase 1 plan. Officials said the construction would be complete by December 2019 and passenger service will start by March 2020.
| Sorry for the break |
| The ongoing test runs on the Phase 1 tracks will temporarily affect Metro passenger rail services from Little Mount to Teynampet DMS from 6 am to 8 am till 22 December. CMRL has arranged alternative arrangements by getting vans to ferry passengers between these two stations till test runs are complete. |