Chennai metro rail seen by April 2014

The Chennai Metro Rail service may commence oper­ation between the Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount stretch by March-end or early April 2014. By the end of November 2013, Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) plans to test run a full-length four-car metro train with a functional signal system. By late August or early September, CMRL plans to put on trial the front car comprising the engine on the elevated corridor.CMRL would procure the front car from Brazil in May and some equipment would be fitted to it in a month from then. The remaining three cars of the first train would arrive by August and a full length metro train com­prising four cars would be put on trial by September-end. Before June-end, CMRL aims to complete construction of metro stations on Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount stretch and the signal works, with control centres at the stations, would commence thereupon in July.