Chennai Metro Map 2026: Lines, Tickets & Fares

Chennai Metro Map 2026: Key Facts at a Glance

• The network you can ride today has two lines and 41 stations covering roughly 54.1 km, including the Phase I Extension.
• A single journey costs between ₹10 and ₹50 (≈ USD 0.10 to USD 0.52). Pay with a digital QR ticket or a National Common Mobility Card and the same trips drop to the published discounted range of ₹8 to ₹40 (≈ USD 0.08 to USD 0.42).
• Chennai International Airport has its own Blue Line station, with direct trains to Chennai Central for ₹40 (≈ USD 0.42), or ₹32 (≈ USD 0.33) with a digital QR ticket or NCMC.
• Trains run roughly from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm, and on the Blue Line you rarely wait long: every 6 minutes at weekday peaks, every 7 minutes off-peak and every 15 minutes later in the evening.
• Plan your late nights around the timetable: there is no regular 24-hour service, and Sundays and public holidays run to different frequencies than weekdays.

Chennai Metro Service and Phase 2 Updates

Phase 2 remains under construction, and none of its three corridors was confirmed open for passenger service in the official sources checked on 21 July 2026. At Nandanam, entrance B4 has been permanently closed since 23 March 2026 for Phase 2 integration. Passengers can use A2, A3, B1, B2 or B3. Check latest CMRL notices before travel.

The operational Chennai Metro network consists of the Blue and Green Lines. This guide explains the official plan, current lines and interchanges, fares, service hours, direct Blue Line airport access and Phase 2 construction status.

The Chennai Metro map PDF in the viewer is the Phase I and Extension plan. Other CMRL files show Phase 2 or combine operational and future corridors, so they should not be read as a list of passenger routes open in 2026.

Chennai’s operational Metro gives visitors a direct rail link between the airport and the central interchange while the much larger Phase 2 programme remains under construction.

Chennai Metro Rail Limited currently operates two lines and 41 stations across roughly 54.1 km including the Phase I Extension.

Commercial service began between Alandur and Koyambedu on 29 June 2015. CMRL’s June 2026 ridership release recorded 9.7 million journeys.

The current Chennai Metro map PDF is the Phase I and Extension plan. Phase 2 corridors are excluded from the operational line count.

Chennai Metro Lines at a Glance

• Blue Line: Wimco Nagar Depot ↔ Chennai International Airport. It serves the Airport station and interchanges with the Green Line at Chennai Central and Alandur.
• Green Line: Chennai Central ↔ St. Thomas Mount. CMRL also schedules inter-corridor trains between Chennai Central and Airport via Egmore and Alandur.

The current Blue Line terminal in CMRL’s July 2026 timetable is Wimco Nagar Depot. Washermenpet remains an important station, while Phase 2 corridors are excluded from this operational list.

How to Read the Chennai Metro Map

Follow the Blue or Green Line to the destination, then use the named terminal to choose direction. Chennai Central and Alandur are the operational interchange points between the two lines.

The plan also marks links to other rail modes. Chennai Metro, Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System and Southern Railway suburban trains are separate systems, so their lines and station counts must not be combined. At Chennai Central, CMRL lists Park for suburban trains and Park Town for MRTS access.

The Metro directly serves Chennai International Airport and provides practical gateways for city sights. Some attractions still require a walk or road transfer, so the destinations matrix does not imply door-to-door access.

Government Estate is a useful Blue Line gateway for Marina Beach. High Court provides a practical starting point for Fort St. George, followed by a walk or short road transfer. For Kapaleeshwarar Temple, continue from Nandanam by bus, taxi or auto-rickshaw because Thirumayilai is not operational.

Other documented Blue Line gateways include Nandanam for T. Nagar, AG-DMS for Semmozhi Poonga, LIC for Spencer Plaza and Guindy for Guindy National Park.

For Chennai International Airport, Blue Line trains connect the Airport station with Chennai Central without a line change. Entrance B serves the domestic and international terminals.

CMRL lists a walkalator and electric buggy connection. The Airports Authority of India lists free interterminal shuttles and battery carts via the Metro station.

CMRL’s current fare information uses a station-pair matrix rather than published kilometre bands.

The five standard levels are ₹10 (≈ USD 0.10), ₹20 (≈ USD 0.21), ₹30 (≈ USD 0.31), ₹40 (≈ USD 0.42) and ₹50 (≈ USD 0.52) on 21 July 2026.

Digital QR tickets and NCMC travel receive a published 20 percent discount. The discounted levels are ₹8 (≈ USD 0.08), ₹16 (≈ USD 0.17), ₹24 (≈ USD 0.25), ₹32 (≈ USD 0.33) and ₹40 (≈ USD 0.42).

Conversions use USD 1 = ₹96.2358 from European Central Bank reference rates retrieved on 21 July 2026.

Paper QR tickets are available at station counters. Buy digital QR tickets through WhatsApp by messaging Hi to +91 83000 86000, or use Paytm, PhonePe, Chennai Metro Rail or Chennai One. WhatsApp supports groups of up to six.

Chennai Metro Rail is published by Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Chennai One is published by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority. The one-day and 30-day Tourist Cards were discontinued from 1 February 2025.

The Singara Chennai Card is a prepaid NCMC available at CMRL counters with no issuance or annual fees. Its minimum top-up is ₹10 (≈ USD 0.10), and its chip balance is capped at ₹2,000 (≈ USD 20.78).

Reload at counters or online. The card balance can be checked at a card reader.

Regular service runs roughly from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. Exact departures vary by terminal, line, direction and day, with July 2026 terminal timings ranging from 4:51 am to 11:17 pm.

On weekdays, Blue Line service runs every 6 minutes at peaks, every 7 minutes off-peak and every 15 minutes late in the evening. Short workings between Washermenpet and Alandur increase that section to every 3 minutes during weekday peaks.

Saturday Blue Line service retains 6-, 7- and 15-minute intervals without the 3-minute short working. On Sundays and holidays, intervals are 10 minutes in the morning and evening, 7 minutes from noon to 8:00 pm and 15 minutes late.

Green Line and inter-corridor trains run every 12, 14 or 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday and holiday intervals are 20, 14 and 30 minutes. Chennai Metro has no regular overnight or 24-hour service.

For day-specific changes, use the timetable button, CMRL notices, the official app, @cmrlofficial or the helpdesk at 1860-425-1515. A static guide cannot confirm today’s service.

Chennai Metro, Mass Rapid Transit and Suburban Trains

Chennai Metro, the Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System and Southern Railway suburban trains are separate systems. Other documented rail connections include Egmore, St. Thomas Mount, Guindy, the Airport-Trisulam connection, Meenambakkam, High Court, Washermenpet and Wimco Nagar.

Phase 2 is under construction and is not part of the operational two-line network. The official Phase 2 project status describes a 118.9 km programme with 128 stations across three corridors.

CMRL currently targets completion of the full programme by the end of 2028.

Corridor 3 runs from Madhavaram to SIPCOT across 45.8 km and 50 stations. Corridor 4 runs from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass across 26.1 km and 30 stations. Corridor 5 runs from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur across 47.0 km and 48 stations.

Test trains do not equal passenger service. Corridor 4 underwent testing, but no Phase 2 passenger opening was confirmed by 21 July 2026.

CMRL has submitted a detailed project report for the proposed Airport-Kilambakkam route via Tambaram. A separate project from Tambaram to Guindy and Velachery remains at the study stage.

Fun Fact: Chennai Metro’s first commercial service opened between Alandur and Koyambedu on 29 June 2015. The system later extended northwards, with the Phase I Extension opening in 2021 and its final two stations following in March 2022.

Explore more Asian systems with the Dubai Metro Map, Istanbul Metro Map and Tokyo Subway Map.

For global comparisons, see the London Underground Map and New York Subway Map, or browse the overview of all metro maps.