Two metro stations to open today in Chennai – Times of India

CHENNAI: Metro rail stations at Thiruvottiyur Theradi and Wimco Nagar depot will open on Sunday.
Passengers will be able to board and alight from these two stations as trains, which had skipped the stations for a year since the start of metro operations in north Chennai, will make stops.
The two stations are part of the 9km phase-1 extension line from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar, which was inaugurated on February 14, 2020.
With the opening of the stations, the extension line will be fully operational. On Saturday, CMRL said it recorded more than two lakh passengers on March 11 for the first time since metro rail operations began in the city in June 2015.
“Works which were ongoing in the two metro stations have been completed and approval has been accorded by the commissioner of metro rail safety post inspection. The stations will begin operations from March 13 onwards and metro trains will stop in the two stations,” CMRL said in a release.
“Passengers can park their vehicles in Wimco Nagar depot metro station free of charge till March 31,” the release read.
Commissioner Abhai Kumar Rai and his team inspected the two stations on February 18.
The commissioner’s approval was mandatory for commencing operations. While his approval came within a few days of the inspection, metro rail officials said they took a couple of weeks more to finish up minor work like installing signage at the stations.
The two stations are expected to boost patronage of metro rail due to its proximity to crowded markets and ancient temples at Thiruvottiyur and some far-flung suburban localities like Ernavoor and Ennore that are otherwise poorly connected by public transport. The ridership crossed two lakh on Friday, an increase from 1.16 lakh daily average footfall before the pandemic.