Last of Metro fleet to reach city soon.

Five years after the first train for Chennai Metro Rail made its entry into the city, the 42nd and last train is all set to arrive from Sri City recently, according to sources, fulfilling the requirement for the project’s Phase I.

Phase I, built at a cost ₹14,600 crore, will have 42 trains manufactured by Alstom running in the 45-km stretch, criss-crossing the city. Of these, nine were manufactured in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and reached the city a few years ago.

The remaining 33 were manufactured in Sri City and in the last five years, they were brought in one after the other, depending on the need.

All trains have been stationed at the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) depot in Koyambedu.

At present, the Metro runs 25 trains in the 36 km operational in Phase I; but in January next year when the Phase I project would be completed and an additional 9-km stretch would be usable, 10 more trains will be added.

According to CMRL officials, during the peak hours, the frequency of services is likely to come down to five minutes from the current seven, by the end of next month.

The Chennai Metro Rail will start testing the trains on two stretches — AG-DMS to Government Estate and Chennai Central to Washermanpet — on Tuesday.

“These trials will continue for about three weeks during day and night, and in early January we will get the signalling software,” an official said. Subsequently, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety would come in for the final mandatory inspection and as soon as the approval comes, the two stretches would become operational.

THE HINDU