CHENNAI: The stretch between Porur and Poonamallee covering 8km may be the first route where driverless trains will commence operations in metro rail’s phase-2 as the installation of girders on the pillars in the centre of the road has begun.
Officials said the concrete pre-cast girders on which ballastless tracks will be laid have been placed for nearly a kilometre distance along the suburban route. Porur-Poonamallee is part of corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee bypass which is expected to be ready by 2025. In a release on Saturday, CMRL said the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived in the city and tunnelling may commence at Madhavaram Milk Colony in October. The deadline for phase-2 is 2025-2026. Metro rail officials said as many as 111 pillars have been constructed along the Porur-Poonamallee and another 342 pillars will be built for the elevated corridor on the route. “On this route, work is underway to construct a 2.3km viaduct from Kumananchavadi junction to Karayanchavadi. Pillars are being constructed at Kattupakkam,” a CMRL official said.
Work on the underground section from 9km Madhavaram to Kellys, which is part of corridor-3 from Madhavaram to Siruseri Sipcot, may also commence soon. “The first TBM will start tunneling between Madhavaram Milk Colony and Thapal Petti station in October 2022 and the second machine will be deployed for tunnelling between Madhavaram High Road and Thapal Petti station,” the officials said. At present, construction of the peripheral walls, entry/exit points and TBM launch and retrieval shafts are underway in four stations including Madhavaram Milk Colony, Madhavaram High Road, Ayanaravam and Purasaiwalkam.
Officials said unlike small segmental girders used in phase-1, those used in phase-2 are around 25m-28m long spanning the distance between two pillars. The long girders, though difficult to transport due to its length and weight, enable faster construction.
CMRL plans to get the line from Powerhouse in Kodambakkam to Poonamallee ready by June 2025 and the rest of the phase by December. When the stretch between Powerhouse and Poonamallee is ready, the maintenance depot at Poonamallee is also expected to open for servicing and parking of trains.
When corridor-4 opens, commuters from localities between Porur and Poonamallee can reach city areas like Marina Beach, Mylapore, Nandanam, T Nagar, Kodambakkam and Vadapalani faster in a single train journey.
