Chennai Metro Phase-II: Madhavaram Milk Colony-Retteri Stretch To Open Before Actual Deadline By Mid-2026

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is expected to complete the construction and commission the stretch from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Retteri junction covering 7 km, in three years.

The stretch is part of Corridor-5 in the Chennai Metro Phase-II project.

To execute the mass rapid transit system project efficiently, 118 stations will be built in three distinct corridors as part of Chennai Metro Phase-II.

Corridor-3, will span from Madhavaram to SIPCOT (45.4 km); Corridor-4 will extend from Light House to Poonamallee (26.1 km); and Corridor-5 will stretch from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (44.6 km).

Pillars for the stretch have already been built, and viaducts installed over a 400 m stretch in Retteri.

With one of the twin tunnels from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Venugopal Nagar already completed, the other tunnel is set to be ready in the coming months.

The upcoming Madhavaram Depot Metro line will have stations located in Madhavaram Depot Metro, Assisi Nagar, Manjambakkam, Velmurugan Nagar, Madhavaram Bus Terminus, Shastri Nagar, and Retteri junction.

M A Siddique, managing director, CMRL said the construction of the stretch from Madhavaram Milk Colony to the Retteri junction will be completed in 2024 after which tracks will be laid and driverless trains will be delivered by the manufacturer, as per the Times Of India report.

Several years ago, CMRL began planning Phase-II of their project, which included a 118.9 km stretch of transportation. The focus was on a priority corridor of 52 km, which would be operational first. The priority corridor consisted of two sections, one from Madhavaram to CMBT and another from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.

However, due to multiple issues arising, the Poonamallee to Power House stretch became the priority. Despite the switch, the Madhavaram to Retteri section still falls under the initial priority corridor plan and remains included in the Madhavaram to CMBT line.

The line will begin with a shallow underground station at Madhavaram Depot Metro and continue as an elevated line up until it reaches Retteri junction.

The construction of the Madhavaram depot, which will serve as the hub for train maintenance and storage, is also underway. The depot is expected to be ready for trial runs and operations.

The reason for postponing the opening of the stretch to Power House after Poonamallee is due to the depot's completion. The official added that operations can only begin in a section once the accompanying depot is completed.

The estimated cost of the Phase-II project is‌‌ Rs 63,246 crore. The entire 118.1 km Phase-2 will be commissioned between 2026 and 2028.

Phase-I of Chennai Metro consists of a 54.1 km network with two corridors (ie, Corridor-1 from Wimco Nagar to the Airport and Corridor-2 from Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount).

There are 41 stations, of which, 21 are underground and 20 elevated. The entire Phase-I is fully operational.