http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/che...e1#.UwO2d_mSxiM


If you’re one of those people who have been curious about when the Chennai Metro Rail will actually get rolling, just to experience what it’s like, this weekend would have been a rare treat for you.

With CMRL putting things into top gear and trying to get the first corridor up and running within the year, their first show of good faith was having a trial run between Koyambedu and Ashok Nagar over the weekend.

After the first trial run with just staff and engineers went off like a dream, the powers that be invited the media to hop on to experience the ride from the inside.

A Raja Chidambaram kept his lens busy and captured some interesting frames from inside the Brazil-manufactured Metro coach.

With safety features like a fire extinguisher and a port to intimate the driver of any other problem, CMRL has ensured that all the signage is provided in Tamil and English for the advantage of those who may require either.

Though equipped to handle a much higher top-speed, the drivers kept to a speed that would have made Chennai’s traffic cops extremely happy — 40 kmph — and still managed to do the run to Ashok Nagar within 15 minutes.
The stations may be incomplete, sections of the track unfinished, unpolished even, but it goes without saying that the Metro will be a sight to behold when it gets going in top gear. For now, like the rest of the city, we will have to contend with watching it as it zooms on the massive rail track overhead

My observation:

1. From photo 1, Chennai got no traffic jam

2. I have been to Terengganu and Kelantan and the traffic is so much worse

3. At least the government got enough brain to build the MRT before it becomes a big problem