Chennai Metro Rail’s Phase 2 network is set to expand into the city’s western suburbs on Sunday, with the 15-km Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani stretch scheduled to begin passenger services after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The elevated section, part of Corridor 4 or the Yellow Line, has been built at an estimated cost of around ₹4,900 crore and includes 11 stations. Chennai Metro Rail Limited said services on the stretch will begin at 4 pm on Sunday and operate in both directions until 9 pm. Regular services will run from 7 am to 9 pm from Monday.
The stations are Poonamallee Bypass, Poonamallee Bus Stand, Poonamallee Government Hospital, Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyyappanthangal, Thelliyaragaram, Porur Bypass, Porur Junction and Vadapalani. The route will connect residential neighbourhoods, commercial areas and important destinations including Poonamallee Government Hospital.
Trains will operate every 10 minutes during weekday and Saturday peak hours, according to CMRL. During non-peak hours, services will run every 15 minutes. On Sundays and public holidays, trains will operate at 15-minute intervals throughout the service period.
The stretch includes a 3.7-km double-decker structure and signalling systems designed to support driverless train operations. Its connection at Vadapalani will allow passengers to access Chennai’s existing Metro network, creating a link between the expanding western corridor and other parts of the city.
The new section is being commissioned as part of the phased rollout of Chennai Metro Phase 2, which is intended to extend rapid-transit access beyond the existing corridors. The Poonamallee–Porur–Vadapalani corridor has seen growing residential development and daily traffic demand, making it one of the areas where Metro connectivity is expected to provide an alternative to road travel.
As part of his Chennai programme, Modi is scheduled to travel by train between Porur Bypass and Poonamallee Bypass before attending the wider launch of development projects worth more than ₹13,000 crore. These include national highway works estimated at ₹3,700 crore, railway projects worth more than ₹750 crore, port infrastructure projects and a ₹1,620-crore lube oil base stocks facility at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Manali refinery.
The highway package includes four-laning works on the Vadugapatti–Therkuvenganallur section of NH 744, a section of the Madurai Ring Road on NH 744A and a proposed four-lane bypass at Tiruvarur on NH 83. Railway works include the Karaikal–Peralam line, three rail flyovers around Coimbatore and redevelopment of five Amrit stations.
CMRL’s initial operating schedule marks the first public-use milestone for this section of Phase 2. Further expansion of the network will determine how effectively the new western corridor connects with Chennai’s broader rapid-transit system.
