Line 3 (Chennai Metro)

The Purple Line or Line 3 is one of the planned lines of Chennai Metro. It is part of the second phase of the project and the under construction line stretches from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri SIPCOT. The 45.4 km (28.2 mi) long line will consist of 47 stations, out of which 28 will be underground and 19 will be at grade or elevated.

Purple Line (Line 3)
Overview
Status	Under construction
Termini	Madhavaram Milk Colony Siruseri SIPCOT
Connecting lines	Operational (5): Blue Line Green Line  Chennai MRTS ,  Chennai Suburban West Line ,  Chennai Suburban South Line  Upcoming (2): Red Line Orange Line
Stations	47
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chennai Metro
Operator(s)	Chennai Metro Rail Limited
Technical
Line length	45.4 km (28.2 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Character	26.3 km (16.3 mi) Underground 19.1 km (11.9 mi) Elevated
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map Legend Madhavaram Milk Colony Red Line Madhavaram High Road Moolakadai Sembiyam Perambur Market Perambur Perambur railway station Ayanavaram Otteri Nullah Otteri Pattalam Perambur Barracks Road Purasaiwakkam Kellys Kilpauk Green Line Chetput Lake Chetpet railway station Chetpet Cooum River Sterling Road Nungambakkam Anna Flyover Thousand Lights Blue Line Royapettah Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai Thirumayilai Orange Line Mandaveli Greenways Road Adyar River Adyar Junction Adyar Depot Buckingham Canal Indira-Nagar Thiruvanmiyur Chennai MRTS Tharamani Nehru Nagar Kandanchavadi Perungudi Thoraipakkam Mettukuppam PTC Colony Okkiyampet Okkiam Maduvu Karapakkam Okkiyam Thoraipakkam Sholinganallur Red Line Sholinganallur Lake I Sholinganallur Lake II Nookampalayam metro depot Semmancheri I Semmancheri II Gandhi Nagar Navallur Siruseri SIPCOT 1 SIPCOT 2

Planning and construction

Phase II

The construction of the first phase of Chennai Metro started in June 2009.^[1] Commercial operations started on the green line in June 2015.^[2][3][4] On 10 February 2019, the extension of blue line was opened, completing the first phase of the metro.^[5]

In July 2016, Government of Tamil Nadu announced that the second phase would have three lines totaling 104 km (65 mi) in length with 104 stations.^[6][7] Two corridors would extend from Madhavaram connecting with Siruseri and Sholinganallur respectively (lines 3 and 5) with the third corridor connecting Koyambedu with Lighthouse (line 4). The third line connecting Madhavaram Milk Colony and Siruseri SIPCOT will extend to 45.8 km (28.5 mi) of which 19.1 km (11.9 mi) would be elevated and 26.7 km (16.6 mi) underground. It will consist of 50 stations including 30 undergrounds stations.^[8][9] The stations for the second phase were designed to be smaller than the existing stations operational in the first phase.^[10]

On 20 November 2020, foundation stone for the second phase was laid and construction commenced.^[11] In November 2022, Alstom was awarded the contract to supply metro coaches for the phase II expansion.^[12] In May 2023, CMRL announced a revised plan for the second phase revising the station count on the third line to 47.^[13] As per the final plan, the fourth line will extend for 45.4 km (28.2 mi).^[14]

Chennai Metro - Phase II^[15]

Line Name	Terminals		Length (km)	Stations	Status
Purple Line	Madhavaram	Siruseri	45.4	46	Under construction

The second phase is estimated to cost ₹63,246 crore (US$7.2 billion) of which initially ₹4,710 crore (US$540 million) was loaned by JICA.^[8][16][17] On 14 February 2021, Prime Minister of India announced that the government has set aside ₹63,000 crore (US$7.2 billion) for the construction of phase II and further extension.^[18]

Phase II extension

In 2022, the state government proposed an extension plan for the third line from Siruseri to Kilambakkam, covering an approximate 25 km (16 mi).^[19] In September 2023, feasibility report was submitted by CMRL for the proposed expansion of the line, green lighting the same.^[20] The extension was scrapped due to patronage and profitability concerns.^[21]

Chennai Metro - Phase II Extension^[20][21]

Line	Terminals		Length	Stations	Status
Purple Line	Siruseri	Kilambakkam	25 km (16 mi)	TBD	DFR submitted; Proposal dropped

Tendering

Purple Line (Line 3)
Civil Work
Tendering	Section		Successful Bid /Cost	Contractor	Award
Elevated Viaduct and StationWork
CP08/EV-01/RT-01	Nehru Nagar – Sholinganallur		₹963.00 crore (US$110 million)	L&T	June 15 2023
C3-ECV-01/RT-01	Sholinganallur – SIPCOT 2		₹901.15 crore (US$100 million)	RVNL	Jan 21 2023
Underground Tunneling
TU-01	Venugopal Nagar – Kellys		₹1,999.00 crore (US$230 million)	Tata Projects	May 12 2021
TU-02	Kellys – Taramani Road		₹2,385.00 crore (US$270 million)	L&T	May 12 2021
Underground Station Work
UG-1-RT01	Madhavaram – Perambur		₹792.00 crore (US$91 million)	DRA – Soma JV	June 15 2023
UG-2-RT01	Ayanavaram – Kellys		₹929.62 crore (US$110 million)	Tata Projects	June 15 2023
UG-3-RT01	KMC – Royapettah		₹1,328.89 crore (US$150 million)	RVNL	June 15 2023
UG-4-RT01	Radhakrishnan – Adyar Junction		₹1,151.41 crore (US$130 million)	RVNL	June 15 2023
UG-5-RT01	Adyar Depot – Taramani Link Road		₹665.99 crore (US$76 million)	RVNL	June 15 2023
Civil Work Cost			₹11,116.06 crore (US$1.3 billion)
Miscellaneous
Tendering	Contract	Section	Successful Bid /Cost	Contractor	Award
BC-3,5/TRK-02[22]	Track Work	Sholinganallur – SIPCOT 2	₹81.83 crore (US$9.4 million)	L&T	Jul 29 2022
CORR-3/CP18A-ATW-09/2022	Track Work	Madhavaram Milk Colony – Sholinganallur	₹299.46 crore (US$34 million)	L&T	Dec 12 2022
CP19/HHRAILS/2021[22]	Head-Hardened Rails		₹82.38 crore (US$9.4 million)	Mitsui & Co	Jan 11 2023
SYS/C3&5/PS&OHE-10/2021[22]	RSS, ASS and SCADA	Sholinganallur – SIPCOT 2	₹87.03 crore (US$10 million)	Linxon India	Jan 10 2023
PHASE-II/CP20.1-PS-06/2021[22]	RSS, ASS and SCADA	Madhavaram Milk Colony – Sholinganallur	₹366.53 crore (US$42 million)	L&T	May 24 2023
PHASE-II/CP20.2-OHE-07/2021[22]	OHE	Madhavaram Milk Colony – Sholinganallur	₹164.34 crore (US$19 million)	L&T	May 24 2023
To Be Awarded	OHE	Sholinganallur – SIPCOT 2	To Be Awarded
ASA-04	Signalling and Train Control and Video Management Systems		₹1,620.00 crore (US$190 million)	Hitachi Rail	Mar 15 2023
ASA-07[22]	Telecom Contract		₹45.37 crore (US$5.2 million)	Consort Digital	Fev 09 2023
Miscellaneous Cost			₹2,746.94 crore (US$310 million)
Total Cost			₹13,863.00 crore (US$1.6 billion)

Stations

Purple Line
S.No	Station Name[15]		Expected Opening	Connections	Station Layout
	English	Tamil
1	Madhavaram Milk Colony	மாதவரம் பால் பண்ணை	2028	Red Line  (Under Construction)	Underground
2	Madhavaram High Road	மாதவரம் நெடுஞ்சாலை	2028		Underground
3	Moolakadai	மூலக்கடை	2028		Underground
4	Sembiyam	செம்பியம்	2028		Underground
5	Perambur Market	பெரம்பூர் அங்காடி	2028		Underground
6	Perambur	பெரம்பூர்	2028	West Line, Chennai Suburban (Perambur)	Underground
7	Ayanavaram	அயனாவரம்	2028	Ayanavaram MTC Bus Depot	Underground
8	Otteri	ஓட்டேரி	2028		Underground
9	Pattalam	பட்டாளம்	2028		Underground
10	Perambur Barracks Road	பெரம்பூர் பேரக்ஸ் சாலை	2028		Underground
11	Purasaiwakkam	புரசைவாக்கம்	2028		Underground
12	Kellys	கெல்லீஸ்	2028		Underground
13	Kilpauk	கீழ்ப்பாக்கம்	2028	Green Line	Underground
14	Chetpet	சேத்துப்பட்டு	2028	South Line, Chennai Suburban (Chetpet)	Underground
15	Sterling Road	ஸ்டெர்லிங் சாலை	2028		Underground
16	Nungambakkam	நுங்கம்பாக்கம்	2028		Underground
17	Anna Flyover	அண்ணா மேம்பாலம்	2028		Underground
18	Thousand Lights	ஆயிரம் விளக்கு	2028	Blue Line	Underground
19	Royapettah	ராயப்பேட்டை	2028		Underground
20	Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai	டாக்டர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் சாலை	2028		Underground
21	Thirumayilai	திருமயிலை	2028	Chennai MRTS (Thirumayilai)  Orange Line  (Under Construction)	Underground
22	Mandaiveli	மந்தைவெளி	2028	Chennai MRTS (Mandaveli)	Underground
23	Greenways Road	பசுமைவழிச் சாலை	2028	Chennai MRTS (Greenways Road)	Underground
24	Adyar Junction	அடையாறு சந்திப்பு	2028		Underground
25	Adyar Depot	அடையாறு பணிமனை	2028		Underground
26	Indira Nagar	இந்திரா நகர்	2028	Chennai MRTS (Indira Nagar)	Underground
27	Thiruvanmiyur	திருவான்மியூர்	2028	Chennai MRTS (Thiruvanmiyur)	Underground
28	Taramani	தரமணி	2028	Chennai MRTS (Taramani)	Underground
29	Nehru Nagar	நேரு நகர்	2028		Elevated
30	Kandanchavadi	கந்தன்சாவடி	2028		Elevated
31	Perungudi	பெருங்குடி	2028		Elevated
32	Thoraipakkam	துரைப்பாக்கம்	2028		Elevated
33	Mettukuppam	மேட்டுக்குப்பம்	2028		Elevated
34	PTC Colony	பி.டி.சி. காலனி	2028		Elevated
35	Okkiyampet	ஒக்கியம்பேட்டை	2028		Elevated
36	Karapakkam	காரப்பாக்கம்	2028		Elevated
37	Okkiyam Thoraipakkam	ஒக்கியம் துரைப்பாக்கம்	2028		Elevated
38	Sholinganallur	சோழிங்கநல்லூர்	2028	Red Line  (Under Construction)	Elevated
39	Sholinganallur Lake I	சோழிங்கநல்லூர் ஏரி I	2028		Elevated
40	Sholinganallur Lake II	சோழிங்கநல்லூர் ஏரி II	2028		Elevated
41	Nookampalayam Depot	நூகம்பாளையம் பணிமனை	2028		Elevated
42	Semmancheri I	செம்மஞ்சேரி I	2028		Elevated
43	Semmancheri I	செம்மஞ்சேரி II	2028		Elevated
44	Gandhi Nagar	காந்தி நகர்	2028		Elevated
45	Navallur	நாவலூர்	2028		Elevated
46	Siruseri	சிறுசேரி	2028		Elevated
47	SIPCOT 1	சிப்காட் 1	2028		Elevated
48	SIPCOT 2	சிப்காட் 2	2028		Elevated

^§ under construction

See also

• List of rapid transit systems in India
• List of metro systems