Chennai Metro’s Yellow Line to start at 6 am from October 23

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will start passenger services at 6 am on the Phase II Corridor 4 Yellow Line from Friday, 23 October 2026, bringing the first train forward by an hour. The revised timing applies to the 15-km elevated stretch between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani, via Porur, in Chennai. CMRL announced the change on 21 October, saying it followed commuter feedback and was intended to make early-morning travel easier in both directions.

How the revised timetable works

The corridor has 11 stations, including Poonamallee Bus Stand, Poonamallee Government Hospital, Iyyappanthangal, Porur Junction and Vadapalani. The service window will be 6 am to 9 pm, with the last trains leaving both terminal stations at 9 pm. The change advances the start from 7 am; it does not extend the evening service beyond 9 pm.

On weekdays and Saturdays, trains are scheduled every 10 minutes during the morning peak from 8 am to 11 am and the evening peak from 5 pm to 8 pm. Outside those periods, they will run every 15 minutes: from 6 am to 8 am, 11 am to 5 pm and 8 pm to 9 pm. On Sundays and public holidays, the frequency will be every 15 minutes throughout the operating day.

A change soon after services began

Regular passenger services on the Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani stretch began on 11 October. The corridor links Poonamallee and Porur with Vadapalani, where passengers can connect with the Green Line. The revised start time gives people travelling towards either end of the corridor an additional hour of service in the morning compared with the previous timetable.

The adjustment is limited to operating hours. CMRL’s stated aim is to support early travel towards Poonamallee and Vadapalani; the new timetable retains the 9 pm last-train time. Commuters planning a late return should therefore continue to account for the last departure from their terminal. The timetable gives a fixed frequency for each time band, rather than a change to the route or its stations.

What commuters should watch

The revised schedule takes effect on Friday, 23 October. Passengers using the line from that date can plan for a 6 am first service, with trains every 10 minutes in the specified weekday and Saturday peak periods and every 15 minutes outside them. Sunday and public-holiday trains will also begin at 6 am, at 15-minute intervals.

The next immediate milestone is the timetable change itself. For commuters across Poonamallee, Porur and Vadapalani, the earlier start adds morning travel time on a corridor that only began regular operations on 11 October. The 9 pm closing time remains the key limit for evening journeys.