Chennai Metro Rail Phase II: Porur And Lighthouse Corridor Launch Pushed Back, Projected Inauguration Extended To 2026

The work on Chennai Metro Rail's Phase II line from Porur to Lighthouse has been delayed, causing concern for commuters as it is now expected to open by mid-2026.

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has set an ambitious goal to launch the fully elevated line from Poonamallee to Lighthouse (Corridor 4) by the end of 2025.

The delay is due to the time needed to acquire land as well as an impediment to building Porur-Alwarthirunagar as a double-decker road.

The expansion of Metro Phase II is planned with a network length of 118.9 km with 128 stations. It consists of three corridors, namely Corridor-3 from Madhavaram to SIPCOT (45.8 km), Corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamalle Bypass (26.1 km), Corridor-5 from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47 km).

The estimated cost of the Phase II project is‌‌ Rs 63,246 crore.

According to CMRL officials, only the stretch from Poonamallee to Porur is likely to be opened by December 2025.

A stretch of road from Porur to lighthouse, scheduled for completion in early 2026, is now experiencing a delay of five to six months.

"This is one of the most time-consuming and challenging portions to be developed for the Phase II project," said CMRL official, reports Times Now.

The main reason for this issue is the time taken to acquire land, which took almost a year to complete. However, land acquisition was finished three months ago. CMRL officials are in talks with the contractor to expedite the project and reduce the delay for opening the stretch by mid-2026.

The development of Porur-Alwarthirunagar into a double-decker length road presents another big challenge.

Kumananchavadi and Karayanchavadi stations are also encountering completion issues as the development is in progress between Poonamallee and Porur. Although there were land-related problems in Kumananchavadi and Karayanchavadi, they have been somehow resolved, and both stations will open on time, according to a CMRL official.