Stalin says DMK stamp on Chennai Metro indelible as new stretch opens

DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, said the party's role in establishing and expanding the Chennai Metro Rail network cannot be erased from history. The Poonamallee-Porur-Vadapalani stretch is set to open to the public on Sunday, 11 October.

Stalin said the Metro Rail was conceived during former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's tenure and that he travelled to Japan to secure JICA funding. He alleged the AIADMK government initially sought to replace the project with a monorail, and that the Centre delayed its share of funding for over three years. The state spent Rs 11,762 crore from its own funds and Rs 6,802 crore through foreign institutions, totalling Rs 18,564 crore, he said.

Stalin said he repeatedly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the Centre's share under the originally agreed 50:50 funding model, which was accepted in October 2024. The stretch was targeted for completion by end of 2025, but delays in Railway Board approval for signalling works and the Model Code of Conduct prevented its inauguration during the DMK's tenure.