Chennai’s Yellow Line opened to passengers on 11 October, connecting Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani through 11 elevated stations. The roughly 15-km stretch is the first operating section of Metro Phase II’s Corridor 4. The PMO’s inauguration record confirms the opening; The Indian Express reports the station list and passenger timetable.
In its 10 October announcement, the PMO put the stretch’s cost at about ₹4,900 crore and described a 3.7-km double-decker structure. It said the signalling supports driverless operation and forecast shorter journeys between the western suburbs and the city centre. That forecast still needs before-and-after travel data.
Drivers remain during the operating review
According to The New Indian Express’s 11 October report, CMRL projects director T. Archunan said drivers would operate the trains for two to three months while the agency gathers performance data. A switch to driverless operation depends on consistent running. The report does not identify a fixed changeover date or publish the acceptance thresholds.
The same report identifies unfinished access at Vadapalani, where passengers use a link bridge to the Phase I station. It also says six further stations require remaining work and approvals, and that an equivalent to Phase I’s last-mile connectivity tender had yet to be issued for Phase II. These are reported conditions at opening, not a subsequent site inspection.
For passengers, a faster train journey can still involve a long walk or wait at either end. Bridging Room’s assessment is that station access and feeder connections should be measured alongside train reliability when CMRL reports the new stretch’s performance.
The timetable gives riders a starting point
The Indian Express reports regular service from 7 am to 9 pm from 12 October. Monday-to-Saturday peak intervals are ten minutes, with fifteen-minute intervals at other times and on Sundays and public holidays. These are scheduled intervals; the sources reviewed do not establish measured punctuality or waiting times.
The immediate reporting questions are specific: when will Vadapalani’s direct access open, what feeder services will connect Phase II stations, and what operating results will CMRL require before removing drivers? Line-specific ridership and interchange counts would also help distinguish first-week curiosity from repeat use.
Dates to track
10 October 2026: PMO announces the inauguration and the corridor’s design features.
11 October: inauguration and the start of passenger service.
12 October: the regular 7 am to 9 pm timetable begins.
Next two to three months: the operating review described by CMRL’s projects director, with driverless conversion conditional on performance.
