CMRL’s first driverless train ready.

CMRL’s first driverless train ready.

The train will likely arrive at the Poonamallee depot by mid-October, say CMRL officials. It will be operated between Poonamallee and Porur stretch on corridor 4 of the Phase II project. The operations are likely to begin next year

Sunitha Sekar CHENNAI 23.09.2024

Chennai Metro Rail’s first driverless train has been manufactured and it is likely to be transported from Sri City to the Poonamallee depot by mid-October.

For the ₹63,246-crore Phase II project, Chennai Metro Rail’s objective is to have driverless trains, unlike the Phase I project, which has a train operator on board.

The contract for this work was given at a cost of ₹1,125.92 crore.

Seven months ago, the manufacturing of the first train got under way at Sri City, with the delivery target set for the end of August. However, the date to deliver the train was put off.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL), though the manufacturing has been finished, there will be a testing process called ‘static testing’, which will be done at Sri City, and thetrainis likely to be brought to the depot only by the middle of October.

Sources said that the manufacturing process encountered a delay as it took time to procure a few components for thetrain.

The driverless train will be operated on the Poonamallee-Porur stretch, a part of corridor 4 of the Phase II project. The operations are likely to begin next year.

‘Minor setback’

“We don’t anticipate any more delays, and the train should arrive next month; we will subsequently start the testing process. This setback will not affect the Phase II work as we will complete the inspection and testing process within five months. The viaduct work between Poonamallee and Porur will be completed only by that time. Once it is ready, the trials will begin along the viaduct between Poonamallee and Porur,” an official said.

Since the coaches will arrive separately, they will be first linked, and then, the systems such as passenger information, pantograph, brakes, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and train control management system will be checked.

“Initially, we will test the train at 10 kmph, and then, increase the speed to the maximum of 90 kmph,” a source said.