Chennai: Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety to conduct detailed audit of Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch from February 11 to 13

Chennai Metro Rail is gearing up for the final safety inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) for the upcoming phase II project’s Poonamallee – Vadapalani stretch from February 11 to 13.

Once the clearance is given within a couple of days after inspection, the stretch will be opened for regular train services for commuters.

In the 118.9-km phase II project with three corridors — Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3), Poonamallee to Light House (corridor 4), and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5), Poonamallee to Vadapalani, a segment of corridor 4, is first slated for opening within a month.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the final inspection is pivotal for commuters, as the CMRS team would examine the safety features and facilities available in stations to know and clear them to be safe for passengers to travel via these structures. Importantly, based on this inspection, a final decision would be made on the number of trains to be operated and the frequency of services.

“We have plans to run about nine to 10 trains at a frequency of nearly six minutes between Poonamallee to Porur. But between Porur and Vadapalani, the frequency will be lower. It will be decided based on the recommendation and approval given by the CMRS,” an official said.

Be it the safe operation of lifts and escalators, the emergency evacuation plan if the lift stops midway, whether all the ticketing gates open automatically in case fire breaks out, the location and access to the fire exits in the stations, the functioning of platform screen doors and passenger information display system, or working of smoke detectors, the CMRS team would do a comprehensive inspection during those three days.

Inspection of platform

“This aside, they will check the dimensions of the structures; for instance, the distance between track and platform and train and platform. They will also test the tracks and do train-signalling integration tests. They may give some comments and as soon as we comply, they will issue the final safety certificate after which we can start operations,” another official said.

Officials said the first batch of documents along with the application for the Poonamallee to Porur stretch has been submitted to the CMRS; the second part of the application for the stretch between Porur to Vadapalani would be handed over to them within a day or two.

But soon after receiving the first application, the CMRS communicated the dates for the final inspection, officials added.