CHENNAI: For the first time, the Chennai Metro will be plying coaches on an electrified underground stretch in the city in a couple of weeks as part of a trial. Officials said the trial run would be conducted on the underground stretch between Koyambedu and Shenoy Nagar.
Recently, a trial was conducted on the underground stretch using diesel-powered wagon car. But with the electrification work progressing, the officials hope that the trial run can be conducted in the next couple of weeks. But the officials say it is unlikely that the underground stretch will be made completely operational by August, when the elevated stretch between the Little Mount and the airport station is expected to go operational. “The works on signalling and other areas are still pending. It is unlikely that the underground stretch would open along with the elevated stretch,” said a senior official.
The track-laying work beyond the Shenoy Nagar station is also progressing. From the Kilpauk station (which comes next to Shenoy Nagar) to Nehru Park, the tracks are expected to be completed in 10 days. Another stretch where the work has been long-pending is the underground stretch beneath the Anna Salai. The official say the work will resume in a couple of weeks. “It has been lying idle for nearly a year. We have to first ensure that it is made operational,” he adds. The stretch from the Government Estate to DMS is likely to be completed in next 10 months.