CHENNAI: After an initial hiccup, Chennai Metro Rail Corporation (CMRL) successfully carried out the trial run of metro train on the 3 km stretch between Mullaithottam and Poonamallee from 11.30 pm on Thursday to 12 am on Friday.
The initial trial on Thursday evening was disrupted due to a technical glitch caused by a short circuit. The train, which started from Poonamallee depot, encountered issues after travelling 1.2 km, resulting in sparks due to the short circuit.
The trial run is a major step towards opening the Poonamallee to Porur elevated corridor, expected by the end of this year. According to Chennai Metro Rail officials, after the initial trial between Mullaithottam and Poonamallee, testing will be extended to Porur.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had previously announced the nine-kilometre metro stretch from Poonamallee to Porur, which includes 10 stations. It is scheduled for inauguration by December 2025. This section is part of Corridor-4, which spans 26.1 km from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass.
Chennai Metro’s ambitious Phase II expansion will cover a total of 118.9 km, featuring 128 stations across three corridors. It consists of corridor-3 from Madhavaram to SIPCOT (45.8 Km), Corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass (26.1 Km) and Corridor-5 from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47.0 Km).
Once the Poonamallee to Porur section becomes operational, the next 8 km stretch-from Porur to Kodambakkam Power House-is expected to open by June 2026. The entire Phase II project is scheduled for completion by December 2027.