Chennai Metro: CMRL floats tender to procure 70 driverless trains

30 Jul 2021 CW Team

Unattended train operation (UTO) or driverless operation, according to CMRL, will be the predominant mode of train operation when the Metro begins operation in phase II. If the UTO is not available for any reason, the train operator will be on board to operate the train in manual mode.

The official told the media that they plan to operate three coach trains at first, with the number of coaches increasing to six if demand grows. A three-car rake can transport 980 passengers, while a six-car rake can transport 1,970. Phase II trains would not have first-class coaches, unlike phase I trains.

The vehicles' maximum allowable operating speed is 80 km per hour, with a design speed of 90 km per hour. According to media reports, the trains could travel an average of 1,50,000 km per year at a minimum average operating speed of 32 kmph during the project's entire fleet operation conditions.

The rakes should have ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as front and rear end evacuation emergency detrainment doors, according to the tender document. For security and emergency doorway monitoring, the vehicles would also have onboard and external CCTV cameras.

The Tamil Nadu government established a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to carry out the Chennai Metro Rail Project. The Chennai Metro Rail Limited SPV was formed under the Companies Act on 3 December 2007. It has now been converted into a joint venture between the centre and Tamil Nadu, with both governments owning equal stakes.

Image Source

Also read: CMRL gets approval for beautification work of central railway station

Also read: HCC-KEC JV secures Rs 1,147 cr order for Chennai metro project

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has issued tenders for the design, manufacture, testing, and commissioning of 210 cars of standard gauge metro rolling stock for operation in three corridors—Madhavaram to Sipcot, Madhavaram to Sholinganallur and Lighthouse to Poonamallee. Unattended train operation (UTO) or driverless operation, according to CMRL, will be the predominant mode of train operation when the Metro begins operation in phase II. If the UTO is not available for any reason, the train operator will be on board to operate the train in manual mode. The official told the media that they plan to operate three coach trains at first, with the number of coaches increasing to six if demand grows. A three-car rake can transport 980 passengers, while a six-car rake can transport 1,970. Phase II trains would not have first-class coaches, unlike phase I trains. The vehicles' maximum allowable operating speed is 80 km per hour, with a design speed of 90 km per hour. According to media reports, the trains could travel an average of 1,50,000 km per year at a minimum average operating speed of 32 kmph during the project's entire fleet operation conditions. The rakes should have ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as front and rear end evacuation emergency detrainment doors, according to the tender document. For security and emergency doorway monitoring, the vehicles would also have onboard and external CCTV cameras. The Tamil Nadu government established a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to carry out the Chennai Metro Rail Project. The Chennai Metro Rail Limited SPV was formed under the Companies Act on 3 December 2007. It has now been converted into a joint venture between the centre and Tamil Nadu, with both governments owning equal stakes. Image Source Also read: CMRL gets approval for beautification work of central railway station Also read: HCC-KEC JV secures Rs 1,147 cr order for Chennai metro project

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Infrastructure Energy

05 Nov 2025

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..