Escalator Work Slow-Going for CMRL in Southern India

At least seven stations along Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.'s (CMRL) Phase I network, spanning more than 45 km and serving key areas in southern India, still lack escalators in upward or downward directions, The Hindu reports. Since 2023 when CMRL acknowledged the problem, it has installed only 22 of a planned 55 elevators. CMRL officials attribute the slow pace of installation to the fact that work can only be done when there is no passenger movement between midnight and 4 a.m., and aim to complete work by February 2026. Currently, stations lacking escalators connecting either street level with the concourse or the concourse with the platform include Thirumangalam, Anna Nagar East, Government Estates, Thousand Lights, Egmore, Nehru Par and Teynampet.