CM Vijay travelled by Chennai Metro from Omandurar to Nandanam, buying his own ticket and interacting with commuters, while reviewing Phase II progress including the Porur-Poonamallee driverless trial stretch.
CM Vijay travelled on the Chennai Metro on Wednesday as part of an inspection of the network and the ongoing Phase II expansion. He began his journey at Omandurar Metro station, purchased his own ticket, and travelled alongside regular commuters to Nandanam, where he reviewed operations at the Metro's headquarters.
During the journey, CM Vijay interacted with fellow passengers and visited the Metro's control room, where officials briefed him on train operations, CCTV monitoring and live transit information systems. His presence drew considerable attention from commuters travelling that afternoon. He was accompanied by Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson, Alandur MLA M. Harish, Maduravoyal MLA P. Rhevanth Charan, Chief Secretary M. Saikumar and senior Chennai Metro Rail Limited officials.
The Chief Minister went on to inspect the under-construction Phase II site at Kathipara Junction in Guindy, climbing up to examine the elevated viaduct standing 101 feet tall over the busy clover-leaf interchange — part of Corridor 5 (Madhavaram to Sholinganallur). The Kathipara Metro Junction will feature the tallest pillar on the entire network at around 108 metres, and a stretch of about 4 km will carry a double-decker line and station design, with both levels supported on a single pillar. He reviewed the "balanced cantilever" construction method being used for the bridge, which is being built without ground-support pillars so as not to disrupt existing Phase I Metro services or road traffic.
The visit extended to a review of Chennai Metro Phase II infrastructure, including ongoing construction and preparations for driverless train operations. The elevated Poonamallee Outer Ring Road-to-Vadapalani stretch, spanning 14.64 km, has its core infrastructure completed and is considered ready for operations, following a detailed inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) earlier this year covering track quality, station infrastructure, braking systems and passenger safety. The Poonamallee-to-Lighthouse corridor further along the line remains under construction.
Chennai Metro Phase II Infrastructure CM Vijay July 29, 2026