CMRL Conducts Inaugural Trial Run in Chennai Metro Phase 2

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Chennai (Metro Rail News): The Chennai Metro Rail Project has achieved a major milestone with a successful trial run of the driverless train on Line 4 of  Phase II. 

The initial trial run of Chennai Metro Rail’s first driverless train for the Phase II network encountered several technical issues. Originally scheduled to commence at approximately 5 p.m. from the Poonamallee Depot, the trial was delayed and ultimately took place around 11:30 p.m. 

The train successfully departed from Poonamallee Depot and covered a distance of 3 kilometres, reaching Mullaithottam at approximately 11:45 p.m.

“On the viaduct, about a kilometre from the depot, a cable of the overhead equipment snapped, and there were sparks for a couple of seconds. We then carried out the repair work. Hence, the trial run was delayed by a couple of hours,” an official said.

“Though it was a driverless train, it was operated by a driver because it was a trial run. The train was operated at a speed of around 15 kmph,” an official said. These trials are likely to continue on a daily basis, the official added, as reported by The Hindu.

The Poonamallee Bypass to Mullaithottam section is part of Corridor 4 of the Phase II network, spanning a total length of 26.1 km from Poonamallee Bypass to Light House. Currently, various construction and system installation works are in progress along a 9-km stretch between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction.