Chennai Metro Rail has communicated to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre that the first phase II stretch from Poonamallee to Vadapalani can be inaugurated anytime now.

On Tuesday, Chennai Metro Rail had received the approval for operating the 14.6-km stretch along with relaxations granted with regard to the speed and frequency of train services. The CMRL can now operate trains with a frequency of 10 minutes in the Poonamallee – Vadapalani stretch.

According to CMRL officials, the approval was crucial because the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), in February this year, had provided only conditional approval. The CRS had noted that from Poonamallee to Porur, train frequency should be restricted to 15 minutes and the Vadapalani station could be made functional only after building 26 deck slabs in the double-decker corridor of corridor 5.

According to officials, the latest approval comes after the fifth safety inspection. On May 23 and 24, a team from the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) visited the stations along this stretch and took a ride in the train as well. Following this, the authorisation was granted to CMRL on Tuesday.

“Between Poonamallee to Porur, there are no speed restrictions. In the stretch from Porur to Vadapalani, the frequency has been revised from 25 kmph to 40 kmph. This means, the trains will be available every 10 minutes in this stretch. The average speed of trains in the stretch, as decided in the planning stage of the project, will be 32 kmph,” an official said.

Train services on the 14.6-km Poonamallee – Porur-Vadapalani stretch, falling under corridor 4 of the 118.9-km phase II project, will be such that, there will be stoppages at all locations between Poonamallee and Porur—Poonamallee Bypass, Poonamallee, Mullaithottam, Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyyapanthangal, Thelliyaragaram, Porur Bypass, and Porur Junction. Since CMRL has delayed the construction of these stations—Alapakkam, Karambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alwarthirunagar, Saligramam Warehouse, and Saligramam, after Porur Junction, trains will make a stop only at Vadapalani.

In February this year, the CRS highlighted several issues on the Poonamallee – Vadapalani stretch and made some sharp observations indicating his dissatisfaction regarding some aspects. After complying with the observations, including the completion of the construction of 26 deck slabs and the examination of a composite girder by Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC), the CMRL had requested for relaxing the speed and frequency.

CCRS has noted that structural health monitoring of the composite girder by SERC for at least two years and that after finishing the pending work between Alapakkam and Vadapalani, CMRL should apply for regular authorisation of the Porur stretch.