Chennai Metro Rail phase 1 completion nearing

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Rail phase 1 will be completed by January, ACCORDING to OFICIAL sources. The link from Directorate of Medical Services (DMS), Teynampet to the Washermenpet is expected to open in January, completing the first phase, according to sources at the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).

Further, the extension line from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar in Thiruvoyttityur will be operational by March 2020.

MC Sampath, the state minister for industries, steel control and special initiatives, and Pankaj Kumar Bansal the CMRL managing director, inspected the 10-kilometre Teynampet Dms-washermenpet underground line on Thursday. This is the track to be opened for passenger service next month.

Sampath inspected the last stage construction work and the test train which will be used for trial run to evaluate the safety of the underground line. CMRL oficials SAID that test runs In THE DMS to Washermenpet underground tracks has begun on Thursday and full-scale operations will start before January end.

The Phase 1 construction started In June 2009 AND THE irst metro rail service in Chennai became operational in 2015. Two lines currently operate in phase 1. One is the Airport - Central via Koyambedu and Airport to Teynampet DMS. The DMS to Washermenpet via Chennai Central link will hook up these two lines.

Once phase 1 is complete, passengers taking metro trains will be able to do a round trip around Chennai: Airport - Koyambedu - Central- AG DMS - Alandur -Airport.

An OFICIAL 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.” The CMRL has shifted focus to the phase 1 extension too, from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar, Thiruvottityur, a 9-kilometre line.