Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Chennai on Sunday, October 11, for a packed day that will see him ride the city's newest Metro line, visit IIT Madras and launch development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore across Tamil Nadu. The centrepiece is the first stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II, between Poonamallee and Vadapalani, which opens to the city after years of construction.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, the projects cover the Metro, national highways, railways, ports, a refinery upgrade and a new neuroscience centre, with work spread from Chennai to Madurai, Coimbatore, Thiruvarur and Thoothukudi.
PM Modi's Chennai schedule
| 11:30 am | Metro ride from Porur Bypass to Poonamallee Bypass and back |
| 12:15 pm | Darshan at Jalakandeswarar Temple; walkthrough of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, IIT Madras |
| 1:30 pm | Inauguration and foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore; public address |
| 3:00 pm | Golden Jubilee of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya school, Chennai |
Timings are approximate and based on the official programme released by the PMO.
Chennai Metro Phase II: the big one for commuters
The Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II is valued at about Rs 4,900 crore. It includes a 3.7 km double-decker structure and a signalling system designed to support driverless trains. For people living in the western suburbs such as Poonamallee and Porur, this is the first real Metro link towards the city, and it is expected to cut travel time on one of Chennai's most congested corridors along Mount-Poonamallee Road.
Phase II is the larger second leg of Chennai's Metro network, and this is the first section of it to open, so Sunday's launch is a milestone for the city as a whole.
Full list of projects
Highways (about Rs 3,700 crore)
- Four-laning of NH-744 between Vadugapatti and Therkuvenganallur (36 km) – inauguration
- Madurai Ring Road on NH-744A (30 km, four-lane) – inauguration
- Thiruvarur Bypass on NH-83 (Nagapattinam-Thanjavur section) – foundation stone
Railways (over Rs 750 crore)
- Karaikal-Peralam rail line
- Three rail flyovers in and around Coimbatore
- Five redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations: Palani, Vellore Cantonment, Ambasamudram, Paramakkudi and Namakkal
Ports
- Chennai Port: paved storage yard, four EXIM godowns, an upgraded cruise terminal and a seafarers' club
- V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Thoothukudi: eight projects on cargo capacity, cleaner energy and logistics
- Kamarajar Port: Coal Berth-3 inauguration and foundation stone for capital dredging of a container terminal
Energy and science
- Foundation stone for CPCL's Lube Oil Base Stocks project at the Manali refinery, worth about Rs 1,620 crore
- Dedication of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras, launch of a mission to map more than 100 human brains in 3D at cellular resolution, and release of a stroke atlas called C-STROKE
Traffic diversions in Chennai today
The Greater Chennai Traffic Police has announced restrictions for commercial and heavy vehicles from 8 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday. Key changes:
- GST Road: vehicles from Tambaram diverted at Tiruneermalai Junction towards Kundrathur Road; vehicles from Pallavaram diverted at the Airport junction.
- Mount-Poonamallee Road: heavy vehicles heading to Kathipara diverted at Porur Toll Plaza towards Maduravoyal, and at Ramapuram Junction.
- 100 Feet Road: vehicles towards Kathipara diverted at Ashok Nagar 2nd Avenue or CIPET Junction.
- OMR and Sardar Patel Road: diversions at Gandhi Mandapam Junction.
- Anna Salai: U-turn at MC Raja junction.
Private car and two-wheeler users should also expect short holds along the PM's route, especially around Porur, Guindy and IIT Madras.
What it means for Tamil Nadu
Beyond the Metro, the projects touch daily life well outside Chennai: a faster ring road in Madurai, new flyovers in Coimbatore, upgraded stations in five towns and more port capacity in Thoothukudi and Ennore. The IIT Madras brain centre also puts Chennai on the map for neuroscience research.
The visit has a political angle too. It comes five months after actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay of TVK became Chief Minister in May 2026. TVK remains allied with the Congress, and Rahul Gandhi was in Chennai on Saturday. The official programme does not list the other dignitaries attending.
What happens next
Once the Poonamallee-Vadapalani section is inaugurated, Chennai Metro Rail Limited is expected to announce the start of passenger services and fares for the stretch. Commuters should watch CMRL's official channels for timings. Other Phase II corridors remain under construction.
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