WHAT HAPPENED
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has set a 45-day target to finish track laying on the remaining part of the 5 km Red Line stretch from CTC to Alandur, director of projects T Archunan said. The Koyambedu to CTC section and 500 m beyond CTC are complete, leaving about 4.5 km, after which traction and signalling work follows, with internal trials planned for November or December ahead of RDSO trials. On the Yellow Line’s Vadapalani to Porur section, CMRL has sought an extension from the CRS for signalling, and manual signalling at three locations may continue until March 2027.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Red Line runs 47 km with 45 stations from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur, so every finished stretch moves a large share of Phase 2 closer to service. Labour is the pinch point: 750 to 850 workers are on station entry works, against roughly 1,000 more that are needed.
EXPERT VIEW
Track laying is the easier part of this job; we think the labour shortfall on station entries poses the bigger risk to opening dates. A 45-day target also runs through the northeast monsoon, which brings Chennai most of its yearly rain and often halts outdoor work. We expect CMRL to miss the 45-day mark and finish CTC to Alandur track laying after 31 December 2026. Confidence: low.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
If you live near the CTC to Alandur alignment, watch for CMRL notices on trial runs from November. If you plan trips on the Vadapalani to Porur stretch, note that manual signalling could stay in place until March 2027. This report rests on a single source, so treat the timelines as provisional.
SOURCES
The New Indian Express, 31 October 2026, read the report
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