Chennai Metro Rail Project -Phase-I – Inauguration of passenger services in the first underground stretch from Koyambedu to Nehru Park
Chennai Metropolitan Area is witnessing rapid growth of population and vehicles. In order to provide a sustainable urban transportation system for Chennai and to increase the share of public transportation, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided to implement the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
The Phase I of the project approved both by Central and State Governments, covers a 45.046 km metro rail network i.e. Blue Line- From Washermenpet to Airport (23.085 Km), Green Line- From Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount (21.961 Km), at an estimated completion cost of Rs.14,600 crores.
On 6.11.2013, the late Hon’ble Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma had flagged off the trial run of the first train set received from Brazil at Koyambedu and inaugurated the 110/33 KV Power Sub-Station.
Based on the progress achieved in the construction and system related works and the statutory clearances accorded by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, the late Hon’ble Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma inaugurated the passenger services in the first elevated stretch from Alandur to Koyambedu (10.15 Kms) on 29.6.2015. The late Hon’ble Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma also inaugurated passenger services in the remaining elevated section from Little Mount to Airport (9 Kms) and from Alandur to St.Thomas Mount (1.2 Kms) on 21.9.2016.
Now all the elevated corridors under Phase-I of the project are fully operational.
The Phase I Extension project to extend Corridor-1 of Metro Rail from Washermanpet to Thiruvottriyur / Wimco Nagar covering a length of 9.051 km at an estimated completion cost of Rs.3770 crores received approval from the Government of India in June 2016. The late Hon’ble Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma laid the foundation stone and commenced construction works of the work on 23.7.2016.
Substantial progress on the construction of the underground section of the project has been achieved. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, after his statutory inspection on 12-14, April, 2017, has given clearance for commencing passenger services on the first underground section of the Green Line from Koyambedu to Nehru Park Station (7.40 Kms) and for the opening of 7 Stations at Thirumangalam, Anna Nagar Tower, Anna Nagar East, Shenoy Nagar, Pachaiyappa’s College, Kilpauk and Nehru Park. After complying with certain observations made by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, the above underground section is now fully ready for commencement of passenger services.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Hon’ble Union Minister of Urban Development will inaugurate the passenger services on the first Underground Section in Green Line from Koyambedu to Nehru Park (7.4 KMs) of Chennai Metro Rail Project- Phase-I on 14-5-2017 at 10 am at Thirumangalam Metro Rail Station.
Source : http://chennaimetrorail.org