Chennai, July 29:
Chief Minister Joseph Vijay will undertake a trial journey on a driverless Metro train on Wednesday, travelling from Porur to Poonamallee, as part of an inspection of the Phase II Metro Rail project.
The Poonamallee to Lighthouse corridor is currently under construction. However, the elevated stretch from Poonamallee Outer Ring Road to Vadapalani, spanning 14.64 km, has its core infrastructure completed and is ready for operations.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) and his team conducted a detailed inspection of this stretch in February. The assessment covered track quality, station infrastructure, braking systems, and passenger safety measures. High-speed trial runs were also carried out as part of the evaluation.
Following the inspection, the CMRS granted approval to operationalise the Poonamallee–Vadapalani corridor, subject to certain conditions. These include running trains at 15-minute intervals between Poonamallee and Porur, and maintaining a speed of 25 kmph in each direction between Porur Junction and Vadapalani.
Despite the infrastructure being ready, Metro services have not yet been opened to the public, raising expectations about an early launch.
In this backdrop, the Chief Minister’s visit is seen as a key step towards commissioning.