For the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II Operations & Maintenance (O&M) contract, two firms—Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and DB International Operations, a German railway company—have submitted bids to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The bids were opened on March 7, and the selected firm will be awarded a 12-year contract, with an option for a three-year extension based on performance. The contract will cover all three corridors: Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri SIPCOT II, Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass, and Madhavaram Milk Colony to Sholinganallur. Additionally, the O&M works will include the depots at Madhavaram, Poonamallee, and Semmancheri, along with 128 metro stations. Meanwhile, in Phase I and its extension, CMRL has been handling O&M partially through contracts while employing permanent staff for other operations. For Phase II, the first leg of operations from Poonamallee Depot to Porur Junction is expected to begin by December 2025, with 80% of track laying completed and train testing set to start in April. Train services on this stretch are expected to be launched before March 2026. CMRL, established in December 2007 as a joint venture between the Union and Tamil Nadu governments, continues to expand Chennai’s metro network.
