Chennai opens first section of driverless Metro Yellow Line

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the first section of Chennai Metro's driverless Yellow Line on 11 October 2026. The elevated stretch of about 15 km between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani has 11 stations and cost about Rs 4,900 crore (around €500m).

Eleven elevated stations and a double-deck viaduct

The new section is part of Corridor 4 of Chennai Metro Phase 2. According to PTI, as reported by ThePrint, it includes a 3.7 km double-deck structure and signalling designed for driverless operation. The stations are:

• Poonamallee Bypass, Poonamallee Bus Stand, Poonamallee Government Hospital;
• Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyappanthangal;
• Thelliyaragaram, Porur Bypass, Porur Junction and Vadapalani, where passengers can change to the Green Line.

Regular services run from 07.00 to 21.00, every 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes off-peak, according to Chennai Metro Rail timings reported by the Indian press. The Prime Minister travelled on the train with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

Alstom driverless trains built in India

The line is served by Alstom Metropolis trains. Under a €124m contract signed in 2023, Alstom is supplying 36 three-car trains, designed in Bengaluru and built at its Sri City plant in Andhra Pradesh, with delivery due to be completed at the end of October 2026, according to the International Railway Journal. Each train carries up to 1,000 passengers and is designed for driverless operation at up to 80 km/h. Stations have platform screen doors.

What comes next

The full Yellow Line will be 26 km long with 28 stations, 18 elevated and 10 underground. The 11.4 km eastern extension from Vadapalani via Kodambakkam and Nandanam to Light House, on the seafront, is under construction.

TrainsNews analysis

Opening the elevated western section first is a common way to start earning revenue while the harder underground section in the city centre is still being built. Until the line reaches Light House, its value depends on the transfer at Vadapalani with the Green Line. The project also shows India's "Make in India" policy at work: Alstom's Indian sites now design and build driverless metro trains for domestic lines, which also strengthens its position for export contracts in the region.

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Sources: PTI (via ThePrint, 11 October 2026); International Railway Journal (12 October 2026); Alstom, contract information.