• By Nidhi Giri
  • Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:32 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Chennai Metro News: As phase 2 projects pick up pace the authorities anticipate that in three months, the ballastless tracks for testing driverless metro trains will be ready at the Poonamallee depot. Meanwhile, the city will receive its first driverless train in August. Other train sets for Corridor 4 will be arriving in Tamil Nadu's capital in a course of a few months. The depot is expected to open along with the first part of Phase 2, which extends from Porur to Poonamallee on Corridor 4, featuring 10 stations, by November 2025. This depot will service all trains on Corridor 4, running from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass.

"The test track will be ready by October. Once the train arrives, it will undergo trials on the test tracks for two months, followed by trials on the elevated corridor," said Director of Projects at CMRL, T Archunan, as quoted by a Times of India report. According to officials, around 75 per cent of the Poonamallee depot construction is complete.

"The stabling shed and workshop shed will be finished in the coming months, and the roof of the nearby Poonamallee station is expected to be done by March 2025," an official added. Phase 2 of the project, covering 116.1 km with three corridors, will open in stages between 2025 and 2028.

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In another update, in a move to enhance the public transportation experience for Indian commuters, Google has announced a new feature that allows users in Chennai and Kochi to book metro tickets directly through the Google Maps app.

Starting this week, when users in these two cities search for public transport directions, they will now see a new booking option for the metro journey. With a simple tap, they can be guided through the entire booking and payment process, eliminating the need to wait in long queues at the station.

This new feature is powered by ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and Namma Yatri, a platform that facilitates seamless ticketing for various modes of public transport. Google plans to expand this functionality to more cities and additional modes of public transport in the future, further improving the overall commuting experience.

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"We are committed to making public transportation more accessible and efficient for Indian users," said a Google spokesperson. "By integrating metro ticketing directly into Google Maps, we aim to simplify the commuting process and encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport."