DB & DMRC Compete For Chennai Metro Phase 2 Operations Contract

In this regard, Deutsche Bahn International Operations GmbH (DB IO) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC) have bid for the operations and maintenance (O&M) contract of Chennai Metro Phase 2. The contract will cover the 116.1 km network currently under construction and will last for 12 years.

Anupam Tripathi, former Director of Chennai Metro Rail, provided an overview of the project and noted that the official approval came from the Central Government in October 2014 after Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) announced Phase 2 in May 2021. This phase will consist of three corridors that are a combination of underground and elevated sections and include 125 stations (previously 128 stations).

• Line-3: Madhavaram — SIPCOT (45.4 Km, 49 Station)

• 4th Line: Light House to Poonamallee Bypass (26.1 km, 28 stations)

• 5th Line: Madhavaram – Sholinganallur (44.6 km / 48 stations)

With the O&M contract, it will be attempting to streamline metro operations through train and station operations, passenger defense and security and so on. While the detailed scope of the tender was not in the public domain ahead of the bidding deadline, it is learned to have possibly included responsibilities like depot maintenance at Madhavaram, Poonamallee, and Semmancheri.

CMRL in August 2024 invited bids for the contract with the commencement date to be from the opening of the last section of Phase 2. There is also a three-year optional extension built into the agreement conditional on performance.

Note that DB and DMRC are the only bidders for a similar 12-year O&M contract for the 82 km Delhi-Meerut RRTS. Ultimately, DB was the winner of the bid in 2022 and currently operates the corridor through its subsidiary, DB RRTS Operations India Pvt. Ltd.

Chennai Metro Phase 2’s network is expected to be inaugurated in phases. The first stretch which is set to open is built by HCC–KEC joint venture, the 7.9 km Poonamallee Bypass–Porur section of Line 4. However, it does not expect this segment to be operational until early 2026 at the earliest.

Keep following for more updates on Chennai Metro expansion!