Chennai: Fifteen driverless trains have been earmarked to operate at 10-minute intervals on metro’s first Phase-2 corridor between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani, even as the 14.6km line awaits inauguration nearly five months after receiving safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS).Officials said 34 of the 36 driverless trainsets ordered for the Phase-2 network have already arrived at the Poonamallee depot, with the remaining two expected to be delivered in July. The fleet is being readied ahead of the launch of passenger services on the corridor.Before entering service, every train undergoes six stages of mandatory testing. These include routine static tests, routine dynamic tests, signalling and telecommunications (S&T) static tests, S&T dynamic tests, integration tests and service trials to ensure that the trains and signalling systems function safely under operating conditions.Metro officials said the trains are undergoing these tests at the Poonamallee depot and on the corridor before being certified for passenger operations.“We have received 34 trains and the remaining two will arrive this month. Fifteen trains have been planned for operations on the Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani corridor. We are ready for the inauguration,” an official said.Officials said a request has already been sent to the Centre to finalise an inauguration date and they are still awaiting a response.The corridor, part of the 118.1-km Phase-2 project, was initially scheduled to open in Dec 2025. It later received conditional approval from the CMRS in February this year, subject to completion of civil works, including installation of deck slabs on the double-decker section between Porur and Vadapalani. After CMRL complied with the conditions, the line received operational clearance.When opened, the corridor will provide the first metro connectivity to several western suburbs and is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Poonamallee, Porur and Vadapalani. Initially, trains will skip six stations between Porur and Vadapalani as civil works at those stations are still under way.
