Chennai Metro Phase 2 Opening Date: Every Corridor's Status, 2026

Chennai Metro Phase 2 is open on one stretch only: Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani on Corridor 4, since 11 October 2026. The next sections in line are the Red Line's Koyambedu to Chennai Trade Centre stretch, where CMRL is targeting trials from November 2026, and Vadapalani to Panagal Park, targeted for March 2027. The OMR section of Corridor 3 has been planned for 2027, and the underground city sections point to 2028.

Updated 13 October 2026. Every date below is labelled as a target unless it has already happened, with the source and the date of that source. CMRL's own Phase II page links a route map but, when we read it, carried no corridor-by-corridor dates.

What was approved, and when was Phase 2 meant to be finished?

The Union Cabinet approved Phase 2 on 3 October 2024: 118.9 km across three corridors with 128 stations, at a completion cost of ₹63,246 crore, planned to be completed by 2027 (ETV Bharat's report of the Cabinet decision).

• Corridor 3, Madhavaram to SIPCOT (Purple Line): 45.8 km, 50 stations at approval.
• Corridor 4, Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass (Yellow Line): 26.1 km, 30 stations at approval.
• Corridor 5, Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (Red Line): 47 km, 48 stations at approval.
• Network after Phase 2: about 173 km in all, per the same report.
• Later figures differ. Propspedia (September 2026) cites a June 2026 CMRL update of 116.1 km and 118 stations, with completion targeted by the end of 2028. We have not seen that update ourselves, so treat the revised totals as reported.

Corridor 4 (Yellow Line): what is open, and what comes next?

• Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani, 14.6 km: open since 11 October 2026, with 11 stations in service (DT Next). This stretch was first targeted for December 2025, then February 2026; the Commissioner of Railway Safety gave approval in May 2026 (DT Next).
• Six stations on that stretch (Alapakkam, Karambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alwarthirunagar, Saligramam, Avichi School): built into the line, opening later, no firm CMRL date that we could verify (Swarajya). Details: Why Valasaravakkam, Saligramam and Four Other Metro Stations Are Skipped on the Poonamallee–Vadapalani Line (2026)
• Vadapalani to Panagal Park, 3.5 km underground: target March 2027. Swarajya reported on 3 February 2026 that tunnelling was complete, track-laying was about to begin, and Panagal Park station had reached concourse and platform level.
• Panagal Park to Lighthouse: Wikipedia's Yellow Line page shows June 2028 for the Vadapalani to Lighthouse section as a whole, with stations including Kodambakkam and Nandanam.
• What the open stretch means for buyers: Chennai Metro Poonamallee to Vadapalani: What Porur Buyers Gain

Corridor 5 (Red Line): when does Koyambedu to Alandur open?

This is the next section most likely to carry passengers, and it has already moved once. Swarajya reported in January 2026 that CMRL was trying to bring the 12-km, 13-station Koyambedu to Butt Road stretch forward from June 2027 to June 2026. That earlier date was not met.

The latest position is from Construction World on 8 September 2026. T Archunan, CMRL's director of projects, said nearly 90% of the track work on the Koyambedu to Chennai Trade Centre section was done, with about 1.5 km left, including roughly 300 metres on the double-decker stretch. Trials were targeted for November, followed by about four months of testing before commercial service, with driverless trains planned.

• Koyambedu to Chennai Trade Centre: trials targeted November 2026; with four months of testing, passenger service would fall in 2027 at the earliest.
• Chennai Trade Centre to Alandur, about 3.6 km along Butt Road: officials told Construction World it was unlikely before 2027, possibly in the first quarter.
• The southern section to Sholinganallur (via Madipakkam, Kovilambakkam and Medavakkam) and the northern section from Madhavaram: we found no recent CMRL date. Treat any specific month you see quoted as unconfirmed.
• Stations and localities on the Red Line: Chennai Metro Red Line (Corridor 5): Madhavaram to Sholinganallur Stations, Trial Runs and Opening Timeline (2026)

Corridor 3 (Purple Line): what is the OMR metro completion date?

The elevated OMR section has the most visible progress; the underground city section has the longest road ahead.

• OMR elevated section, Nehru Nagar (Perungudi) to SIPCOT Siruseri, about 20 km: CMRL said in 2023 that it planned to run this section by 2027 (India Infra Hub, 30 May 2023). Propspedia (September 2026) describes a December 2026 target after an earlier June 2026 plan. We have not seen CMRL confirm December 2026.
• Progress on that section: Swarajya reported on 18 July 2026 that all 3,066 piles and 582 U-girders were complete on the Nehru Nagar to Sholinganallur stretch, built by Larsen & Toubro under package C3/EV-01. Tracks, systems, stations and testing still follow.
• Underground section, Madhavaram to Taramani: India Infra Hub reported in April 2023 that this stretch was delayed by about a year and a half and not expected before 2028. Tunnelling continues; DT Next reported the eighth tunnel breakthrough under the TU-02 contract, at Mandaveli, on 7 February 2026.
• OMR stations and homes near them: Chennai Metro Purple Line (Corridor 3): Madhavaram to SIPCOT, the 20 OMR Stations and Opening Timeline (2026)

Chennai Metro Phase 2 status at a glance

Section · status on 13 October 2026 · latest target and source:

• Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani · open (11 stations) · opened 11 October 2026 (DT Next).
• Six Corridor 4 stations, Alapakkam to Avichi School · built, not open · no verified CMRL date.
• Vadapalani–Panagal Park · tunnels done · March 2027 target (Swarajya, February 2026).
• Panagal Park–Lighthouse · under construction · June 2028 (Wikipedia).
• Koyambedu–Chennai Trade Centre · track about 90% done · trials November 2026, service after about four months of tests (Construction World).
• Chennai Trade Centre–Alandur · under construction · possibly Q1 2027 (Construction World).
• Nehru Nagar–SIPCOT (OMR) · piling and girders done to Sholinganallur · 2027 plan (CMRL via India Infra Hub, 2023); December 2026 reported by Propspedia.
• Madhavaram–Taramani (underground) · tunnelling under way · 2028 (India Infra Hub, 2023; Propspedia, 2026).

Why do Chennai metro dates keep slipping?

The reports point to a handful of recurring causes rather than one problem. The Poonamallee stretch shows the sequence clearly: civil work, then safety clearance, then station finishing, then a formal opening. It received its final safety approval in May 2026 and opened five months later.

• Dense, narrow roads. Swarajya noted that civil work on parts of Butt Road had not begun in January 2026 because of narrow carriageways, with night-only work near the Kathipara flyover.
• Complex stations. The double-decker stations on Arcot Road, shared by two lines, finished later than the viaduct.
• Tendering and loans. India Infra Hub reported in 2023 that cancelled tenders and lengthy lender approvals delayed the underground Corridor 3 work.
• The last step takes time. Trials, safety inspection and an inauguration date can add months after the track is ready.

How should a homebuyer use these dates?

• Treat a trial run as the start of the countdown, not the end. On Corridor 5, CMRL itself expects about four months of testing after trials begin.
• Add a margin to any target. On the evidence of the Poonamallee stretch, a year's slip between first target and opening is not unusual.
• Pay for open stations, not for future ones. Where a station is a 2027 or 2028 target, the price should reflect that.
• Check station names against CMRL signage and the approved station list; names were revised in places.
• Prices along the lines have not moved in step with dates; see what the 2026 data shows: Chennai Real Estate Market 2026: Sales Up 27% or Down 10%?
• Shortlisting in the west or south during the monsoon? Use Chennai Flood 2026: Monsoon Site-Visit Checklist for a Flat
• Station-by-station map of homes: Metro Stations Chennai