Chennai Metro rail reports suggest that the underground stretches of Washermanpet to  Chennai Central and Chennai Central to AG-DMS — will start operations by the last week of January. 45 km of phase1 will be completed. In last week of December, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) officials had planned for two stretches inauguration but signalling software will be installed and inaugurated in January. “The Germany-based company has agreed to hand over the signalling software in the first week of January. Once that is done, the final inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will be carried out and we are likely to have the inauguration by the end of January,” an official said. The two stretches will be operated after Safety approval by CMRS. The stretch from Chennai Central to AG-DMS is 4.1-km-long — comprising stations like Thousand Lights, LIC and Government Estate — while the stretch from Washermanpet to Chennai Central runs for 3.4 km, with stations including Mannady and High Court. “Even if they manage to open the stations, only basic facilities will be available,” he added. In view of Deepavali purchases, train services will be extended up to 11 p.m. on November 2 and November 3. Depending on the crowd in the evening more trains will be operated in those two days.