The government of Tamil Nadu has given its sanction for commencement of work for Phase-II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project with the allocation of Rs 2,681 crore for FY19-20.

The 118 km long rail project will connect suburban areas to the city centre. The state government has also given an administrative sanction for a total cost of Rs 40,941 crore. The amount Rs 2,681 crore has been allocated as share capitals and debt.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved Rs 20,196 crore to build the priority corridor of 52.01 km from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur, and Madhavaram to CMBT. It has in-principle approval from Asian Development Bank, New Development Bank, European Infrastructure Bank and World bank.

The Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) has already started with soil tests and detailed design for the priority corridor. By implementing Phase-II, the Metro rail network in the Chennai metropolitan area will increase to 172.91 km.