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$7.3 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$7.3 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

Stations

Purple Line
S.No	Station Name[15]		Connections	Layout	Opened
	English	Tamil
1	Madhavaram Milk Colony	மாதவரம் பால் பண்ணை	Red Line[§]	Underground	Under construction
2	Madhavaram High Road	மாதவரம் நெடுஞ்சாலை
3	Moolakadai	மூலக்கடை
4	Sembiyam	செம்பியம்
5	Perambur Market	பெரம்பூர் அங்காடி
6	Perambur	பெரம்பூர்	West Line, Chennai Suburban (Perambur)
7	Ayanavaram	அயனாவரம்	Ayanavaram MTC Bus Depot
8	Otteri	ஓட்டேரி
9	Pattalam	பட்டாளம்
10	Perambur Barracks Road	பெரம்பூர் பேரக்ஸ் சாலை
11	Purasaiwakkam	புரசைவாக்கம்
12	Kellys	கெல்லீஸ்
13	Kilpauk	கீழ்ப்பாக்கம்	Green Line		15 May 2017
14	Chetpet	சேத்துப்பட்டு	South Line, Chennai Suburban (Chetpet)		Under construction
15	Sterling Road	ஸ்டெர்லிங் சாலை
16	Nungambakkam	நுங்கம்பாக்கம்
17	Anna Flyover	அண்ணா மேம்பாலம்
18	Thousand Lights	ஆயிரம் விளக்கு	Blue Line		10 February 2019
19	Royapettah	ராயப்பேட்டை			Under construction
20	Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai	டாக்டர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் சாலை
21	Thirumayilai	திருமயிலை	Chennai MRTS (Thirumayilai)   Orange Line[§]
22	Mandaiveli	மந்தைவெளி	Chennai MRTS (Mandaveli)
23	Greenways Road	பசுமைவழிச் சாலை	Chennai MRTS (Greenways Road)
24	Adyar Junction	அடையாறு சந்திப்பு
25	Adyar Depot	அடையாறு பணிமனை
26	Indira Nagar	இந்திரா நகர்	Chennai MRTS (Indira Nagar)
27	Thiruvanmiyur	திருவான்மியூர்	Chennai MRTS (Thiruvanmiyur)
28	Taramani	தரமணி	Chennai MRTS (Taramani)
29	Nehru Nagar	நேரு நகர்		Elevated
30	Kandanchavadi	கந்தன்சாவடி
31	Perungudi	பெருங்குடி
32	Thoraipakkam	துரைப்பாக்கம்
33	Mettukuppam	மேட்டுக்குப்பம்
34	PTC Colony	பி.டி.சி. காலனி
35	Okkiyampet	ஒக்கியம்பேட்டை
36	Karapakkam	காரப்பாக்கம்
37	Okkiyam Thoraipakkam	ஒக்கியம் துரைப்பாக்கம்
38	Sholinganallur	சோழிங்கநல்லூர்	Red Line[§]
39	Sholinganallur Lake I	சோழிங்கநல்லூர் ஏரி I
40	Sholinganallur Lake II	சோழிங்கநல்லூர் ஏரி II
41	Nookampalayam Depot	நூகம்பாளையம் பணிமனை
42	Semmancheri I	செம்மஞ்சேரி I
43	Semmancheri I	செம்மஞ்சேரி II
44	Gandhi Nagar	காந்தி நகர்
45	Navallur	நாவலூர்
46	Siruseri	சிறுசேரி
47	SIPCOT 1	சிப்காட் 1
48	SIPCOT 2	சிப்காட் 2

^§ under construction

See also

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

References

1. "Work commences on Chennai Metro". Projects Today. 11 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
2. "Chennai Metro one stop short of dream run". Deccan Chronicle. 31 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
3. "Conditional clearance for Metro Rail". The Hindu. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
4. Chennai Metro Newsletter - August 2015 (PDF) (Report). Chennai Metro. 29 June 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
5. Simhan, TE Raja (10 February 2019). "PM Modi inaugurates Chennai Metro Rail's final leg". The Hindu Businessline. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
6. Sekar, Sunitha (2 August 2016). "1800 km, 180 stations: Unveiling Phase II of Metro". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
7. Sekar, Sunitha. "Detailed project report for Phase II of Metro Rail ready". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
8. "Project status of Chennai Metro". Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
9. "Metro's second phase to go up to Poonamallee". The Hindu. 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
10. U, Tejonmayam (28 December 2016). "Chennai: Metro rail to trim stations under phase 2". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
11. "Amit Shah to lay foundation for Chennai Metro's phase II project". The Hindu. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
12. "Alstom wins €98 million contract to design and manufacture 78 metro coaches for Chennai Metro Phase-II" (Press release). Alstom. 11 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
13. "Chennai metro scraps nine stations in phase 2". The Times of India. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
14. "Phase II– S98 (Anaimalai) TBM Breakthrough at Venugopal Nagar Shaft" (PDF) (Press release). Chennai Metro Rail Limited. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
15. Chennai Metro rail phase II (PDF) (Report). Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
16. "Phase-II Chennai metro project to cost Rs 36,000 cr". Business Standard. 2 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
17. "JICA extends ODA Loan of INR 4710 Cr for Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase 2 (II)". JICA. 21 June 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
18. Dipak K, Dash. "Ground work for Chennai metro rail phase-2 hit". Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
19. "Detailed feasibility report for Chennai Metro Rail's Phase 2 extension to be ready in three months". The Hindu. 26 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
20. "CMRL submits Detailed Feasibility Reports for Phase II project extension". The Financial Express. 22 September 2023. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
21. "Metro from Siruseri- Kilambakkam Bus Terminus Metro Plans Dropped, deemed non-feasible". Times Now. 9 May 2024. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.