Speed certificate: Poonamallee-Porur metro corridor may get delayed
CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Rails push to open the first stretch of its Phase II corridor in December, from Poonamallee to Porur, is facing a key regulatory bottleneck, with the mandatory speed certificate from the Railway Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) still pending. The certificate, issued by the Railway Board, is essential before the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) can inspect the line. Without it, the final safety audit required for commercial operations cannot begin, according to Chennai Metro Rail sources. Metro officials, who have been working to meet an ambitious commissioning deadline, say they are in constant touch with both the Railway Board and the CRS office in Bengaluru to prevent further delays. The western corridor is expected to be a crucial link for commuters travelling between Poonamallee and Chennais expanding southern belt, and is projected to lift ridership sharply once operational. Usually, the speed certificate is provided within a month. Now, it is taking time. We are closely following with the Railway Board and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with letters and discussion, a CMRL official said. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs official dealing with Urban transport projects could not be reached by TNIE. Despite the regulatory lag, CMRL maintains that civil works, systems integration and station readiness remain on track. However, officials acknowledge that the holdup could compress the testing and fine-tuning window before the line opens to the public. CMRL completed safety certification trials for the new Phase-II rolling stock between Poonamallee Bypass and Porur Junction stations. The trials-conducted by an independent RDSO team began on August 16, 2025 and assessed passenger comfort, traction performance and braking systems at speeds up to the design limit of 90 km/h. The RDSO team certified that the trains design and construction meet the standards required for safe stopping distances even when fully loaded. CMRL officials noted that the trials were completed ahead of schedule, citing this as evidence of improvements in rolling-stock quality and adherence to safety norms. For now, however, the corridors opening depends on when the Railway Board issues the awaited speed certificate a timeline which, officials say, remains outside CMRLs control.
23 C
