Alstom has completed manufacturing 36 driverless Metropolis trainsets for Chennai Metro Phase II, with passenger services beginning on Corridor 4. The fleet comprises 108 cars and was designed at the company’s engineering centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka, before being manufactured at its Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh.

Corridor 4 spans 26 km between Poonamallee Bypass and Light House, with 28 stations comprising 18 elevated and 10 underground stops. The route links residential, commercial and cultural areas and provides an alternative to road travel for Chennai’s more than 11 mn residents.

The trainsets are configured for driverless operations at speeds of up to 80 kmh. Each three-car train can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers and includes regenerative braking, air conditioning, passenger information displays, CCTV cameras, emergency evacuation doors and dedicated spaces for women and differently abled passengers. One entire car reserves two-thirds of its space as a ladies’ section.

The contract, awarded in 2023 and valued at 124 mn euros, covered the design, manufacture, supply, testing, commissioning and training of CMRL drivers for the Corridor 4 fleet. The 36th and final trainset is scheduled for delivery by the end of October 2026, while 32 additional driverless trainsets remain under production at Sri City.

The trainsets feature exterior styling inspired by Bharatanatyam mudras and interior platform screen patterns based on Tamil Nadu’s Kolam art. Alstom has supported Chennai’s metro network since 2010, supplying 208 cars, signalling and power systems for the 54 km Phase I network. A further 96 driverless Metropolis cars ordered in 2025 have also entered production, extending the company’s partnership with Chennai Metro Rail. Alstom operates six industrial sites and five engineering centres in India, supplying rolling stock, infrastructure, signalling and related services for domestic and international projects.