In one of the largest contracts in Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.'s Phase II project, for designing and developing signaling software have been awarded to Hitachi Rail Signalling and Transportation Systems India involving ₹16 billion investments, CMRL official sources, said elaborating that the contractor should deliver the software months in advance so that trials can begin because the first stretch between Poonamallee and Power House is likely to be opened by the end of 2025. In Phase II, Chennai Metro Rail plans to run driverless trains, for which a reliable signaling system is crucial as it regulates many functions, including announcements in stations and trains and other important aspects of train operations. Phase II of the project is set to employ a different signaling system than Phase I. In contrast to the distance-to-go signaling system that CMRL installed for the Phase I project, it will deploy the communications-based train control signaling system in Phase II, which officials claimed is a better and more accurate system. As a result, the Phase I project's trains will not operate in Phase II. Commuters will have to depart, walk a short distance, and then board the train wherever there are interchange stations.
