Alstom likely to deliver first driverless trainset to Chennai Metro in August

Chennai, India (Metro Rail Today): Exciting news awaits metro rail commuters in Chennai as the arrival of the first driverless trainset is expected in August. This cutting-edge technology will revolutionize the commuting experience, offering passengers a glimpse into the future of urban transportation. The trainsets, scheduled to arrive in subsequent months, will ply on corridor-4 of phase-2, stretching from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass, with an anticipated opening in 2025. This corridor spans 26 kilometers and encompasses 28 metro stations.

According to a senior official from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), "One trainset will arrive in Aug. In the subsequent two months, we will get six trainsets." However, before the arrival of the first train, the laying of ballastless tracks on the elevated line in the corridor must be completed by July.

CMRL's plan entails inaugurating the elevated stretch from Powerhouse in Kodambakkam to Poonamallee Bypass on corridor-4 first in 2025. Notably, all trains operating on corridor-4 will be stationed and serviced at the depot currently under construction in Poonamallee, set to open next year.

In February, CMRL unveiled the first look of the driverless trains, showcasing their innovative features such as perch seats for standing passengers, CCTV cameras both inside and outside cars, charging sockets for electronic devices, grab handles designed with different colors at a lower height for the convenience of women, dedicated spaces and long wait press buttons for passengers in wheelchairs, as well as LCD screens for real-time route maps and entertainment. Each of the three cars can accommodate approximately 1,000 passengers, boasting a design speed of 90 km/hr and an operational speed of 80 km/hr. The trains will also be equipped with detectors to identify obstacles and prevent derailments, along with a regenerative braking system to conserve electricity.

CMRL anticipates a total of 138 three-car trainsets to cater to the 116.1 km phase-2, scheduled to open in stages between 2025 and 2028. Recently, bids were reinvited for 32 trainsets, with an additional 70 trainsets tendered last year. In phase-1, the initial sets of trains arrived from Brazil and were temporarily stationed at the Koyambedu depot until the lines were ready.

M A Siddique, Managing Director, CMRL stated that the Thirumayilai metro station, serving as an interchange between corridors 3 and 4, along with a few nearby stations, will be the last to open. Lighthouse metro, the originating station on corridor 4, will commence operations before Thirumayilai metro is commissioned, and during this period, driverless trains will bypass Thirumayilai metro until it becomes operational.

The imminent arrival of driverless metro trains marks a significant leap forward in Chennai's urban transportation landscape, promising enhanced efficiency, safety, and convenience for commuters.