A journey between Poonamallee and Vadapalani that took nearly an hour by road in peak-hour traffic can now be done in a little under 40 minutes on the newly inaugurated stretch of Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II network, The Hindu reported on 12 October 2026.
Quick Facts
| Stretch | Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani, phase II |
| Length | 14.6 km |
| Stations | 11 elevated stations |
| Opened | Sunday, 11 October 2026, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay flagging off the first train |
| Travel time | A little under 40 minutes (nearly an hour by road at peak) |
Crowds on the First Days
The Hindu said thousands of commuters from across the city turned up to ride the new line, both to try phase II and to see how fast they could travel between the two localities. The paper called the stretch a likely “game-changer” for commuters travelling between the western suburbs and the core of the city, whether for work, shopping or films.
Thiruvikraman, a resident of Kattupakkam, said the Kattupakkam station is less than five minutes from his home. “Earlier, I would dread commuting to Vadapalani during the peak hours, since it would take me an hour,” he said, adding that a cab ride used to cost him ₹300-₹400.
Engineering students Harshita B. and Boomika D., among the first at the Poonamallee Bypass station, said the bus ride from Nazarathpet to Vadapalani takes about an hour. “The fare is reasonable, and the travel time is significantly less,” Harshita said.
What Is New in Phase II
- Charging points at stations
- Half-height platform screen doors at the elevated stations
- Digital route maps
- Three-coach trains, with half a coach marked with a pink belt and hand grips for women, unlike phase I trains, which had a separate ladies’ coach
What Comes Next
At the inauguration, Chief Minister Vijay asked for early approval of Phase III of the project. That request is covered in a separate IndiaX24 report.
Featured image: A Chennai Metro Rail phase II train, August 2026 (file photo). Photo by TamizhanEditor, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.