Chennai: The first stretch of Chennai Metro’s Phase-2 network, from Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani, covering 14.64km, will be inaugurated on Oct 11, but trains will not run in driverless mode until mid-2027.CMRL officials said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the line and is expected to take a ride on one of the trains. The 14.64km stretch has 17 stations in all, but only 11 will initially open to passengers, with trains bypassing six stations — Alapakkam, Karambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alwarthirunagar, Saligramam and Avichi School — on the double-decker section between Porur Junction and Vadapalani.The inauguration comes nearly seven months after CMRL received conditional approval from the CMRS in Feb and subsequently secured final authorisation, with relaxations in train speed and frequency, in May.The trains are designed for Unattended Train Operation (UTO) without operators assistance, but will initially run in Automatic Train Operation (ATO) mode, with two train operators onboard supervising the service.Under ATO, acceleration, braking, stopping and speed regulation are automated, but staff remain onboard to monitor operations and intervene when required. UTO allows these functions, including door control and routine train movements, to be handled automatically under the supervision of the Operation Control Centre (OCC) located in Koyambedu and a backup OCC in Nandanam.“We will have two operators onboard all the trains and operate them in degraded mode. It means the operator will have to apply brakes manually as the signalling system and trains are not synced. We will go driverless by mid-2027,” an official said. The second operator will monitor signals and assist during emergencies.The official said UTO testing was under way, with 120 test cases or scenarios to be validated before CMRL applies for CMRS certification. Testing will continue between midnight and 5am after passenger services begin.Fifteen trains will initially operate at 10-minute intervals. The maximum fare between Vadapalani and Poonamallee Bypass will be ₹40, while a journey from Poonamallee Bypass to Airport, Egmore or Central railway station will cost ₹50.The trains have a maximum design speed of 80kmph but will average 32kmph, slowing to 25-30kmph on two curves. Each three-car train can carry up to 900 passengers.In comparison, Phase-1 trains operate with integrated signalling that automatically triggers braking or speed reduction based on signals. The four-car trains have a capacity of 1,270 passengers and an average operating speed of 34kmph.At present, Delhi Metro operates UTO services in India. Metro systems in Singapore, Dubai and several European cities also operate driverless services.
