Alstom starts manufacturing 96 driverless metro cars for Chennai Metro
The production of the Metropolis trainsets is being carried out at the Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh under a 135-million-euro contract.
French train maker Alstom began producing 96 Metropolis driverless metro cars for Chennai Metro Phase II at its Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, according to Moneycontrol and BusinessLine.
The project is part of a 135-million-euro agreement secured from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) in 2025. Under this contract, Alstom is tasked with creating 32 trainsets, each consisting of three cars, and providing 15 years of maintenance following the warranty period.
The Chennai Metro Phase II covers roughly 119 km, including 76 km of elevated tracks and 43 km of underground sections across three corridors. These Metropolis trains are designed at an engineering centre in Bengaluru and built in Andhra Pradesh.
The trains are built for Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) driverless operations with a top speed of 80 km/h. Each three-car set can hold up to 900 passengers and includes features such as air conditioning, CCTV, and dedicated areas for women and differently-abled commuters.
Alstom India Managing Director Olivier Loison said the company values its long-term partnership with CMRL, noting that their work began with the city's first metro project. He added that the start of this production follows the recent delivery of 108 cars for corridor 4.
Since receiving its initial contract from CMRL in 2010, Alstom has supplied 208 metro cars for Phase I.