CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail Services, which had been suspended from March 22, is set to resume operations from 8 am on September 7.
According to a statement from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the train services will be initially operational from 8 am to 8 pm and the timings may be changed based on the requirement, gradually.
CMRL will commence revenue services in two stages:
Blue Line (Airport-Washermanpet): From September 7 (Monday) with peak hour (8:30 am-10:30 am & 5pm -8pm) headway of five minutes and non-peak hour headway of ten minutes.
Green Line (St Thomas Mount-Central Railway Station): From September 9 (Wednesday) with peak hour headway of five minutes and non peak hour headway of ten minutes.
There will be no inter-corridor movement between Central metro Station and airport metro station and passengers have been asked to plan their travel accordingly. Apart from the disinfection of trains and stations, crowd control staff are to be deployed to ensure social distancing.
The train stoppage time at each station has been increased from 20 seconds to 50 seconds to give passengers an adequate window to board and deboard while following social distancing.
This dwelling time may be suitably revised according to the footfall, going forward, the statement said.
Symptomatic passengers or those who are found to have a high temperature during the thermal scanning will not be allowed to board.
Passengers must also adhere to the social distancing markers placed in all waiting areas, adherence to social distancing may also be monitored through surveillance cameras.
Lifts will operate only with 2-3 persons on board and will be recommended for senior citizens or people with disabilities.
Further, passengers are ‘encouraged’ to use the Aarogya Setu application at the time of entry to stations. Initially, two entrances to stations will be opened and others might be opened based on demand.