Chennai: The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has awarded a ₹1,538.35 crore contract to Alstom Transport India for the supply of 32 fully automated driverless trainsets as part of its Phase-2 expansion. Each train set will have the capacity to carry around 900 passengers.

This contract marks the final procurement under the Unattended Train Operation (UTO) system for Phase 2, completing CMRL’s rolling stock requirements. The earlier two UTO contracts are already in progress, with train deliveries underway.

As per the schedule, Alstom will deliver the first trainset by February 2027 for testing at the Phase-2 depot. The remaining trains will be delivered in phases between September 2027 and May 2028. An integrated 14-month testing period is planned before the new fleet is commissioned.

With this order, Alstom’s contribution to CMRL’s Phase-2 project increases to 204 Metropolis driverless cars. The company is already manufacturing 108 cars for the Poonamallee Bypass–Light House corridor and had earlier supplied 208 cars for Phase-1. Alstom is also handling track construction along Corridors I and II.

Beyond manufacturing, Alstom will be responsible for the maintenance of the new trains for 15 years post-warranty, including management of depot equipment and spare parts. The agreement was signed in the presence of senior officials from CMRL and Alstom, including CMRL Director Manoj Goyal.