Updated 21 October 2026. We re-read CMRL's milestone as reported by three outlets, The Hindu's July report on the Red Line's middle section and the Sholinganallur station design. Our earlier explainer covers the whole Red Line route; this page focuses on the southern end, what work is left before trains can run, and the homes around it.

When will Sholinganallur metro station open?

Nobody official has given a date for this section. These are the timelines in circulation, with where each comes from.

  • December 2027: Wikipedia's station table lists every station from St Thomas Mount to Sholinganallur for December 2027. Treat it as an encyclopedia estimate, not a CMRL commitment.
  • About two years from September 2025: The Hindu reported then that the Phase II extension along OMR was gearing up for completion in the next two years (as cited by Swarajya, 29 September 2025).
  • End of 2028: Swarajya, reporting the precast milestone on 14 October 2026, says Phase II as a whole is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
  • No section opening date was given in CMRL's October update. Construction World's report refers only to completing Phase II on schedule (19 October 2026).

What CMRL completed on the Ullagaram–Sholinganallur stretch

The package casts the concrete pieces that form the elevated viaduct. Casting is finished; placing them is not. According to CMRL, as reported on 14 and 19 October 2026:

  • 3,126 precast elements cast in total.
  • 1,041 I-girders and 892 U-girders. The 892 U-girders are the highest U-girder output of any Phase II package.
  • 871 pier arm segments, 303 pier caps and 19 portal shells.
  • Materials: 98,052 cubic metres of concrete, 18,550 tonnes of reinforcement steel and 3,010 tonnes of high-tensile strands.
  • Contractor: HCC-KEC Consortium. General consultant: AEON Consortium.
  • Next: erect the remaining U-girders and build the station entry and exit structures.

What is left before trains run to Sholinganallur?

CMRL has not published a remaining-works schedule for this stretch. The Hindu's July report on the Koyambedu–Alandur section shows the usual order on Phase II: civil work must be complete before trial runs; signalling and telecom work then takes a minimum of two to three months; then safety approvals are sought, inspections carried out and approval granted (The Hindu, 27 July 2026). The same report called entry and exit structures one of the most difficult jobs on that section.

  • Erect the remaining U-girders on the viaduct.
  • Build station entry and exit structures, including those of the Sholinganallur interchange.
  • Lay track and install traction power and overhead equipment.
  • Install and test signalling and telecom systems.
  • Trial runs, then statutory safety inspection and approval before passenger service.

How the rest of Corridor 5 is progressing

The Red Line runs 47 km from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Sholinganallur, with 41.2 km elevated, 5.8 km underground and 45 stations (Swarajya, 14 October 2026). It is one of three corridors in the 118.9 km Phase II project (The Hindu, 27 July 2026).

The middle section is ahead of the south. The Hindu reported that Koyambedu to Chennai Trade Centre, targeted for June 2026, faced nearly eight months of delay, and that the Koyambedu–Alandur stretch may open only by early 2027 (27 July 2026). On another corridor, the Poonamallee–Vadapalani stretch of Phase II opened to passengers in the week before 17 October (The Hindu, 17 October 2026). Section-by-section status for all three corridors: Chennai Metro Phase 2 Opening Date: Every Corridor's Status, 2026

Which metro lines meet at Sholinganallur?

Sholinganallur is the only interchange between Corridor 3, the Purple Line from Madhavaram to SIPCOT, and Corridor 5, the Red Line (Swarajya, 29 September 2025, quoting CMRL's director of projects T Archunan). The two lines cross in a plus-shaped layout. The Corridor 5 platform sits on top at 28.8 metres above the road and the Corridor 3 platform below it at 21.8 metres. Corridor 5 trains pass through the fifth floor of an adjoining eight-storey building, with a grade separator on the second level and a plaza for leisure and commercial use on the first.

Wikipedia describes four entry and exit points, two on Perumbakkam Main Road towards Elcot and two on Kalaignar Karunanidhi Salai towards ECR. CMRL has not yet built these structures, so final positions may change. The Purple Line's OMR stations: Chennai Metro Purple Line (Corridor 3): Madhavaram to SIPCOT, the 20 OMR Stations and Opening Timeline (2026)

Which stations are between Ullagaram and Sholinganallur?

From Wikipedia's Red Line station table. CMRL has not published a final list for this section, and names can change on signage.

  • Ullagaram
  • Madipakkam
  • Kilkattalai
  • Echangadu
  • Kovilambakkam
  • Vellakkal
  • Medavakkam I
  • Medavakkam II
  • Perumbakkam
  • Classical Tamil Institute
  • Elcot
  • Sholinganallur (interchange with the Purple Line)

Will property prices rise near Sholinganallur metro?

We do not predict price moves. What is on record: Cushman & Wakefield quotes mid-segment base rates on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Thiruvanmiyur to Kelambakkam, at ₹7,500–9,500 per sq ft in Q3 2026, up 7% year on year, and mid-segment rents there at ₹32,500–35,500 a month, up 10% (Chennai Residential MarketBeat Q3 2026). Those figures cover the whole corridor, not only homes near the station.

If a metro station is part of your reason to buy, check three things. First, the walking route from the gate to the nearest planned entry, not the straight-line distance. Second, how long construction around the station will affect the road outside your building. Third, whether the project has used the premium FSI available near metro corridors, which can mean more homes on the plot: Chennai's 50% Premium FSI Concession Near Metro Lines: What It Means for Flats Along Phase 2 (2026)

A side note on branding: CMRL has floated semi-naming-rights bids for seven Phase II stations, all on the Poonamallee–Vadapalani stretch, allowing a company name as prefix or suffix (The Hindu, 17 October 2026). Sholinganallur is not on that list.

Homes we list near the Sholinganallur station

We have not measured walking distances to the planned entries. Prices are from our catalogue and follow each developer's latest price sheet.