Driverless Chennai Metro on track! Major contract worth Rs 1,538 crore finalised

Chennai Metro Rail has signed a contract with Alstom Transport India to manufacture 32 driverless metro trains for its Phase 2 project. After trial runs, it will be fully operational in 2028.

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Chennai Metro Rail

Chennai Metro Rail service has attracted the public significantly. While initially ridership was low, it has been increasing steadily. Consequently, the metro rail project is being implemented to connect various parts of Chennai, enabling faster travel.

 Modern technology is being utilized in the metro rail service. Driverless metro trains have already undergone trial runs in Chennai. Following the successful trials, a plan has been formulated to manufacture new driverless metro train coaches.

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RS 1,538 crore deal with Alstom

Chennai Metro Rail Limited has awarded a contract worth Rs. 1,538.35 crore to Alstom Transport India for the manufacture of 32 driverless 3-car metro trains for Phase 2. The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) was issued on April 28, 2025. Mr. Manoj Goyal, Director (Systems and Operations) of CMRL, and Mr. Parag Nandlal Kohel, Director of Alstom Transport India, signed the contract.

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Alstom Transport India

The contract includes design, manufacturing, supply, testing, commissioning, staff training, and 15 years of comprehensive maintenance for the driverless metro trains and workshop machinery. The first train will be delivered to CMRL in 2027, followed by 14 months of rigorous testing for driverless operation, including integration and service trials.

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Final batch to be delivered between September 2027 and May 2028

The remaining trains will be delivered in phases from September 2027 to May 2028. This contract with Alstom is the third and final one for procuring driverless trains for Phase 2. The first two contracts have already been awarded.