Second trial of Chennai metro successful

The Rs 14,600-cr Chennai Metro Rail Project, the largest infra project in the state, is expected to commence commercial operations on its first line by the end of 2014

A trial run on the 5.7-km stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail was successfully conducted today. The trial run was conducted to check the overall working of the track and the line, as it was the first time the train was put on the track, said the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) spokesperson today.

Three trips were conducted carrying the CMRL employees at a speed of 10-20 kmph. The trial run would be continued in the coming days, with several tests expected to be conducted. The speed would be increased gradually from the current 10-20 kmph, the official said.

It is the second test run of the metro in the last two months.

Of the two lines running between the destinations, only one has been electrified. The company would finish the works on the other line and would start testing both the lines, the official added. It has five trains--each with four compartments, ready for operation and all the trains would be tested.

This would be the first metro project in the country, which integrates other public transportation systems, said a senior CMRL official.

While a total of seven lines have been planned, currently two routes were under construction as part of Phase-I, which will be 45.1-km long. The routes would be from Washermanpet to airport (23.1 km) and from Chennai Central to St Thomas Mount (22 km). Around 55 per cent of the corridors in Phase-I are underground and the remaining corridors are elevated. The Rs 14,600-crore Chennai Metro Rail Project (CMRL), Tamil Nadu’s largest infrastructure project, is expected to commence commercial operations on its first line by the end of 2014, covering around 11 km between Koyambedu and St Thomas Mount stations.