With December 2025 as the target for opening this stretch of the phase II project, Chennai Metro Rail’s construction work from Poonamallee to Porur, is gradually picking up pace, as the track work has begun.
The Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project will be built for a length of 116 km across the city, passing through numerous locations in three corridors—Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3 – 45.4 km), Light House to Poonamallee (corridor 4 – 26.1 km) and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5 – 44.6 km). The three corridors will be opened in a phased manner and the first one to open to commuters will be a small stretch of nearly 8 km from Poonamallee to Porur Junction by the end of next year.
While the construction of pillars and stations is in full swing in this stretch, the next step of laying the track has just started. “The preparatory work, which went on for sometime is over and the track work has just begun between Thelliyagaram and Iyyappanthangal. We have to lay track for a length of 18 km (9 km each of upward line and 9 km downward line) and we hope to complete this work in the next six months. Unlike the rails used in phase I project which were imported, in this project, the rails are made in India,” an official said.
Sources said, though the track work should have begun long ago and this process has been delayed by a quite a few months. “It took time to get one of the important equipment called flash butt welding machine and hence the delay,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the work to install over head electrical equipment too is expected to begin shortly.
The first train will arrive by August and after the initial testing is done, officials said, they have to begin trials in this track between Poonamallee and Porur Junction stretch and this will go on for some months.
