The 14.6-km stretch from Poonamallee to Vadapalani is covered in less than 38 minutes by the Metro. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj In an additional benefit for commuters, the Chennai Metro Rail has further reduced the travel time on Poonamallee to Vadapalani Phase II stretch to about half an hour.Three weeks ago, this section of Phase II project’s Corridor 4 was opened for commuters.

Since its launch, the trains operated at an average speed of 32 km/h from Poonamallee to Porur, and at a maximum speed of 40 km/h from Porur to Vadapalani.As a result, it took commuters nearly 37-38 minutes to cover the 14.6-km stretch from Poonamallee to Vadapalani, as against an hour and a quarter by road during peak hours. The train also stopped quite a few times between Porur and Vadapalani.Sources said the trip time and timetable were revisited recently to see if they could be optimised further.

After making modifications to the timetable, officials found that it was possible to reduce the travel time. Now, the train stops only at two locations —Valasaravakkam and Saligramam.“Since the train is travelling in the manual mode [operated by driver] from Porur to Vadapalani, the Commissioner of Railway Safety had asked us to make two stoppage points for a brief period on this stretch.

This is for safety reasons. After making all these necessary changes, the current travel time is about 31-32 minutes,” a source said.According to officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), while this could be considered a modest change, it could be of significant benefit to commuters who are rushing to work during peak hours.

Officials said the main reason why commuters used the Metro Rail network was to skip the traffic congestion on road, and hence, it was essential to carry out such changes.Changes hailedN. Nilofer, a resident of Poonamallee, said every minute counts for a commuter during peak hours, and added she was glad the travel time has been reduced further.“I vividly remember a time when I had to go with my family foran event one evening.

The traffic on Arcot Road was so bad that we thought we may not be able to attend. Now, it is a breeze to travel by the Metro Rail system,” she said.

Published - November 02, 2026 12:45 pm IST