CHENNAI: Chennai Metro opened operations on the 1.28km stretch from Alandur to St Thomas Mount today, thus making the entire elevated stretch functional.
The stretch could not be opened earlier as an inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety had been pending.
This means that you can now take the Metro from Koyambedu, the bus transport hub of Chennai, right up to St Thomas Mount, a thickly populated residential area in south Chennai.
A Metro Rail spokesperson said the line opened to commercial operations at 6 am.
Meanwhile, a Metro Rail official said the loop at Alandur station, which would enable direct trains between Koyambedu and Airport, is expected to become operational soon. Currently, passengers have to get down at Alandur and climb down two levels to take a train to the Airport.
Currently, 15,000 people use the Chennai metro every day. Once the direct link resumes, Metro Rail hopes patronage will increase substantially.
A taxi or an auto from the airport costs nearly Rs 450. But a metro commuter would need only pay Rs 50 and enjoy world class service.
To a query on making the accessibility more viable to educational institutions like Anna University, IIT Madras and Central Leather Research Institute from the Little Mount station, officials said they are considering a few proposals.