Alstom starts making 96 driverless metro cars for Chennai Metro Phase II
The manufacturing process for the Metropolis trainsets has begun at the Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh.
Alstom has started producing 96 Metropolis driverless metro cars for the Chennai Metro Phase II project at its Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh, according to BusinessLine. The work is being carried out under a €135 million contract granted by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) in 2025.
The contract involves the creation of 32 trainsets, each consisting of three cars, and includes 15 years of full maintenance following the warranty period. These trains are designed at the Alstom engineering centre in Bengaluru and built in Andhra Pradesh as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The Metropolis trains are built for Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) driverless operations with speeds of 80 km/h. Each three-car set can hold up to 900 passengers and includes features such as air conditioning, CCTV cameras, and specific areas for women and differently abled commuters.
Olivier Loison, Managing Director of Alstom India, said the company values its long-standing partnership with CMRL, noting that their collaboration began with Chennai's first metro project. He added that the start of production for these additional trainsets reinforces their association with CMRL.
The Chennai Metro Phase II project covers about 119 km, including 76 km of elevated tracks and 43 km of underground sections. This new production follows the recent delivery of 108 cars for Corridor 4, which connects Poonamallee Bypass to Light House.