PM Modi inaugurates Chennai Metro stretch, launches projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore in TN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated a 15-km stretch of Chennai Metro’s Phase II project, built at a cost of around Rs 4,900 crore, and launched and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore across Tamil Nadu.
Modi, accompanied by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, flagged off passenger services on the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Corridor 4 and travelled on the Metro train.
The Prime Minister also bought a ticket and briefly interacted with an employee at the ticket counter.
The newly inaugurated stretch has 11 elevated stations and a 3.7-km double-decker structure. It features advanced signalling systems designed to support driverless operations and is expected to improve connectivity between Chennai’s western suburbs and the city centre while reducing commuting time.
The stations on the new yellow line are Poonamallee Bypass, Poonamallee Bus Stand, Poonamallee Government Hospital, Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyappanthangal, Thelliyaragaram, Porur Bypass, Porur Junction and Vadapalani.
According to Chennai Metro Rail, passenger services on the stretch began at 4 pm on Sunday and will operate in both directions until 9 pm. From October 12, services will run from 7 am to 9 pm, with the last trains departing at 9 pm from Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani terminals.
Later, at an event at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Modi and Vijay inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore across the state.
The initiatives span road and rail transport, ports and petroleum sectors. National Highways projects account for around Rs 3,700 crore, while other initiatives cover Chennai Port, Kamarajar Port, V O Chidambaranar Port and Amrit railway stations.
The Prime Minister also dedicated the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras to the nation. The centre is undertaking a scientific mission to map more than 100 human brains into three-dimensional atlases at cellular resolution, covering stages from foetal development to old age.
Modi also released C-STROKE, a human ischaemic stroke atlas featuring more than 1,000 annotated microscopic sections from a stroke-affected brain. The atlas is expected to help researchers identify potential new therapeutic targets.
