The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has commenced underground tunneling for Corridor 5 of Phase II by launching its first tunnel boring machine (TBM), named Kurinji, at the Kolathur ramp on Wednesday.Corridor 5, spanning 47 kilometers, connects Madhavaram Milk Colony to Sholinganallur, passing through key locations such as Koyambedu, Porur, and Alandur. It consists of five underground stations and 39 elevated stations.
As part of the project, CMRL has planned to deploy four TBMs, each named after traditional Tamil landscapes—Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, and Neithal. According to a CMRL press note, TBM Kurinji will tunnel 246 meters from Kolathur ramp towards Kolathur station (upline) and is expected to complete its journey by June 2025. After retrieval, it will be relaunched from the south shaft to tunnel 1.06 km towards Srinivasa Nagar.
The second TBM, Mullai, is scheduled to arrive by the end of March and will start tunneling 603 meters from Villivakkam Railway Station towards the Villivakkam Bus Terminus. The remaining two TBMs, Marutham and Neithal, will be launched based on site readiness.
Tunneling Progress and Station Details
The 7.8 km underground section of Corridor 5 will have twin tunnels of 3.9 km each between Kolathur and Nathamuni ramps. The project is being executed by Tata Projects, which is responsible for deploying all four TBMs for the tunneling works.
The underground metro stations on this stretch include:
Kolathur Junction, Srinivasa Nagar,
Villivakkam, Villivakkam Bus Terminus,
Nathamuni (formerly named Villivakkam MTH Road metro station).
CMRL is undertaking the construction of three corridors as part of Phase II, covering a total distance of 118.9 km. Additionally, work on Corridor 4 between Poonamallee and Porur Junction is also in progress.
With the launch of TBM Kurinji, Chennai’s metro expansion takes a significant step forward, promising enhanced connectivity and improved urban mobility for the city’s residents.