Metro Rail’s first driverless train likely to go through trial run on October 26 at Poonamallee Depot

Chennai Metro Rail's first driverless train for phase II project to have trial run soon, officials confirm.

Chennai Metro Rail’s first three-coach driverless train for the Rs 63,246 crore phase II project is likely to have its first trial run on October 26.

Chief Minister M K Stalin and Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar have been invited to flag off the first train, sources said. “We will get the final confirmation within two days,” a source said.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the three coaches of the driverless train came from Sri City to the depot facility for the phase II project at Poonamallee in the early hours of October 17. CMRL has built some new features in the phase II trains including new digital displays for showing routes and charging points.

The Rs 187 crore depot at Poonamallee spread over 40.5 acres will accommodate as many 17 buildings with numerous facilities which are required for maintaining and repairing the trains which will be operated in the phase II project.

“For the last couple of days, the coaches which arrived separately were coupled and now the parts are being checked at the depot. Other static tests too are presently underway, and this will be finished before the trial run to be held by the end of this week,” an official said.

The train is stationed at Inspection Bay Line (track) at present and is being checked for the functioning of circuits, brakes, ventilation, air-conditioning and other systems. After this, the train will be moved at a speed of 10-15 kmph in this track multiple times this week and then moved to the test track. In the 820-metre ballasted test track, the first test trial run is scheduled to take place.

For operating services between Poonamallee and Porur, a part of corridor 4 of the phase II project (Light House to Poonamallee), CMRL will have to keep 36 trains ready. Officials said, the next batch of coaches will begin to arrive November onwards and the testing will subsequently begin.