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CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Washermenpet-Wimco Nagar stretch on Feb 14, 2021. This 9-km stretch of Chennai Metro Rail’s phase I extension has been built at a cost of ₹3,770 crore. Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) issued final certificate of approval for starting operations the inauguration of the project on Feb 11, 2021
Three days of last week, a team of CMRS officials inspected the stretch.
According to official CMRS team wanted a few additional documents with regard to signalling that was sent to them. Subsequently, after reviewing the reports, they issued the certificate on Feb 11, 2021.
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The CMRS inspected a host of safety and passenger facilities to check and make sure that safe travel for commuters.
Although, Minister for Industries M.C. Sampath and principal secretary M.A. Siddiqui travelled in a train from Toll Gate till Wimco Nagar and reviewed the progress of the construction work in stations along the stretch.
“Almost all the the work is over in all stations and only last minute work is on. This will be finished in a day or two. The whole stretch will illuminated on the eve of the inauguration,” an official said.
Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. plans to increase the frequency of trains from seven minutes to five minutes ahead of the opening of phase I extension line.
“this was in anticipation of higher footfall when the Washermenpet-Wimco Nagar stretch is commissioned on Sunday,” Said an CMRL official.
“We expect the CMRL officials said to go up marginally. Five months ago, when we resumed services, trains carried just 10,000 passengers a day. But now, it has touched 55,000 passengers a day. This figure may rise to 60,000-65,000 after the extension becomes operational. It is important to ensure that there is physical distancing inside the trains. So, we want to run trains every five minutes [during peak hours],” an official said.
Officials said while they expect a small section of people to use the Metro to travel from north Chennai to the rest of the city, a larger number of people may take the Metro from central and south Chennai to go to the northern areas.
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