Chennai Metro

Operational Operator: Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) Length: 54.1 km Official site ↗

Chennai Metro, operated by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), is the anchor of Tamil Nadu’s urban transit ambitions. Its Phase 1 Blue and Green lines – linking the airport, Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount – established a compact operational core, and the network is now in the middle of a Phase 2 expansion that will roughly quadruple its reach.

Phase 2 comprises three new corridors (provisionally the Purple, Orange and Red lines) totalling well over 100 km, with the Madhavaram–SIPCOT and Madhavaram–Sholinganallur alignments among the longest single metro corridors under construction anywhere in India. Delivery is being financed through a consortium of international lenders.

Why it matters

Chennai’s Phase 2 is a case study in scaling a metro from a modest operational base to a city-wide network in a single programme. The financing structure – multiple bilateral and multilateral lenders backing one integrated phase – and the decision to build very long corridors at once make it a useful benchmark for other second-tier metros planning big jumps. It also tests CMRL’s ability to manage simultaneous tunnelling and elevated construction across the city.

Key facts (verify before publish)

  • Operator: Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL)
  • Phase 1: Blue Line (Airport–Wimco Nagar) + Green Line (Central–St. Thomas Mount)
  • Phase 2: three corridors (~118 km) under construction – line colours for 3–5 not finalised
  • Gauge: standard gauge, 1435 mm
  • Ridership: confirm latest (TMRG lists 2.66 lakh/day, July 2023)

Explore more

Official source: chennaimetrorail.org

Latest ridership: 2.66 lakh/day (2023 - verify)

Route map coming soon.

No active contract data yet.