Chennai: Underground metro gets safety nod

CHENNAI: The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) who inspected the first underground corridor on Wednesday and Thursday gave his approval for opening the line for public, senior metro officials said. “It was informally communicated on Friday but a formal communication in the form of a letter will arrive on Monday,” an informed source said.

Once the written approval comes in, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials will be informing the state and the central governments. “The chief secretary and secretary of the Union ministry of urban development will decide on a date and the person who will preside over the inauguration,” an official told Deccan Chronicle.

The official added that the line is ready to be open within next week. “We are ready to open as soon as possible,” he said. CMRS, K.A. Manoharan, who finished the inspection on Friday, asked for more signage at the underground stations on the stretch, officials said, adding that more signage will help commuters from getting confused in huge stations.