Chennai Metro Rail - status

Chennai Metro rail completed its first tunnel between two stations – Washermenpet and Mannadi. It took five and a half months to bore the 1.3 km tunnel, which is part of the Washermenpet-Airport corridor along Anna Salai. The tunnel stretches under 750 buildings as it is one of those few stretches where tunnel is not under a main road. Tunnelling began on October 1, 2012 from Washermenpet. The machine, which worked at an average speed of 12 m per day, touched a speed of 54.6 m in one of the days, fixing 39 concrete rings. So far 958 rings,which act as the roof and the walls, have been fixed along the stretch. Metro rail will now lay tracks and install other facilities.

Tunnelling is underway to build a parallel tunnel along the same stretch to lay a second line. The second tunnel has reached 205 metres.

Two parallel tunnels – one 360 m and another 368 m – have been bored from Nehru Park to Egmore on the Central-Thirumangalam underground stretch of the Central-Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount corridor. A machine has started boring from May Day Park to DMS on Anna Salai. But the tunnel has reached just 102 m. Metro is gearing up to setup a boring machine to construct a second parallel tunnel on the stretch.

Work is in progress to make a tunnel from Shenoy Nagar to Thirumangalam where metro track will emerge from underground and become an elevated corridor from there to St Thomas Mount. Pace of tunneling varies from one location to another. Though boring began in July last year at Nehru Park, the machines are yet to reach Egmore. Underground stations are also taking shape at many locations along Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road.

Tracks are being laid between Koyembedu and St Thomas Mount on the elevated stretch where viaducts have been completed. Around 7.5 km tracks have been laid so far.