Chennai Metrolite – Information, Route Map, Fares, Tenders & Updates
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Chennai Metrolite project with 1 line is a 15.5 km km light rail transit (LRT) system proposed to be built in Chennai, Tamil Nadu by the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL).
Chennai’s Metrolite line, connecting Tambaram and Velachery, is planned on a route where cost-intensive heavy-rail metro line might be an overkill from a cost and engineering perspective. The system will be designed per the Government of India’s July 2019 metrolite specifications, and will be cheaper to construct (approx Rs. 100 crore/km) and maintain due to its smaller size with lesser capacity compared to regular heavy-rail metro systems.
Metrolite trains will mostly run at-grade (road level) on dedicated / fenced-in corridors and act as an excellent feeder to the Chennai Metro and local MRTS (Indian Railways’ owned) train system.
SYSTRA MVA Consulting started preparing Chennai Metrolite’s feasibility report in February 2020 to determine the project’s cost, construction period and benefits. The report is expected to be ready in Q3 2020 after which a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared, if desired.
Key Figures
Operational: 0 km | Under Construction: 0 km | Approved: 0 km | Proposed: 15.5 km
- CMRL’s Current Metrolite Deadline: Not Finalized (Pending Approval)
- My Completion Estimate: 2026 (no sooner, if approved by state government in 2021)
Metrolite System Specifications
- Track Gauge: Standard Gauge – 1435 mm
- Electrification: 25 kV, 50 Hz AC OHE
- Signalling: Communications-based train control (CBTC)
- Total Capacity: 300-425 passengers (3 coach train)
Chennai Metrolite Route Information
Line-1: Tambaram – Velachery
- Length: 15 km
- Type: At-grade (primarily) and possibly elevated/underground for short distances
- Number of Stops/Stations: To be determined
- Station Names: to be determined
- Catchment Area:
Alignment Option-1: Velachery, Ram Nagar South, Maxworth Nagar, Indirapuri, Kovilambakkam,Keelkattalai, Old Pallavaram, Chromepet, Tambaram
Alignment Option-2: Velachery, Pallikaranai, Medavakkam, Gowrivakkam, East Tambaram
Chennai Metrolite Route Map (Master Plan)
Official line alignment and color have not been announced. Both alignment options listed above have been mapped out below.
Option 1 | Option 2
An official PDF route map of Chennai Metrolite’s system will be added here when available.
Chennai Metrolite Fares
Chennai Metrolite’s fare structure, prices and rules have not been announced yet. That will be finalized closer to the start of commercial operations. CMRL will integrate ticketing with the Chennai Metro network and plans to use the latest technologies for its automatic fare collection (AFC) system to allow QR codes and Near Field Communication (NFC) phones to utilize the system.
Chennai Metrolite Tenders
Chennai Metrolite’s tenders can be viewed on the CMRL’s website. News on these notices, their bidders, awarded tenders and contracts are covered in further detail on the news & construction page.
Chennai Metrolite Contractors
| Contract | Contractor |
| Feasibility Study | SYSTRA MVA Consulting India Pvt. ltd. |
Click on ‘News & Construction Updates’ below for project news, progress and updates.
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Page last updated: June 19, 2023. Have a question or spot an error? Let me know here.