Chennai?s Metro dream inched closer to reality when Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday flagged off a test run.

The four-coach train at Koyambedu yard will be tested for eight weeks on an 800-metre track before it is taken for another trial on an elevated viaduct between Koyambedu and St Thomas Mount. Jayalalithaa inspected the train for more than 10 minutes before switching on the power and flagging it off. Wednesday’s test run is considered to be an important milestone in the execution of the R14,600-crore Metro Rail project. The phase-I of the project is expected to be fully completed by 2015.

As per its schedule, the Metro is to complete the line and stations by December and start trials by early January as a run-up to the commissioning of the line in July 2014.

Out of the total project cost, close to 59% is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency, 20% by the Union government and 21% by the state government.

The first set of these locally made coaches for the Chennai Metro will be ready by January 2014 at French multinational Alstom’s plant in Sri City, a 5,000- acre SEZ, 55 km off Chennai.

CMRL had awarded the tender for the supply of rolling stock in 2010 to Alstom Transport SA & Alstom Projects India consortium at a cost of R1471.3 crore.

An order was placed for 42 train sets of 4-car configuration, including the supply of spares and special maintenance tools. According to CMRL sources, the maximum allowable operating speed of the vehicles will be 80 kmph with maximum design speed of 90 kmph.

A minimum headway of 3 minutes will be maintained to satisfy normal peak ridership. For a 4-car metro rake composition, the capacity will be 1,276 persons. CMRL had awarded the contract for power supply and overhead equipments (OHE) to Siemens AG, Germany and Siemens India consortium at a cost of R 305 crore.

The contract includes design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of complete power supply systems. The contract has been awarded on international bidding to the eligible bidder who has quoted the lowest rate.

CMRL will receive electrical power from Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) for a maximum demand of 60 MVA from three 110 kn sub-stations being set up by electricity board at Koyambedu, Alandur and Chennai Central.

Three traction sub-stations will be set up under this contrac