CHENNAI: Expected peak-hour relief failed to materialise on Monday, as the revised 20-25 minute frequency failed to ease passenger distress on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu suburban corridor. Crowding remained heavy at key stations including Tambaram, Kodambakkam, Nungambakkam, Guindy and Egmore, with passengers rushing to board limited services.
With reduced trains, congestion intensified during morning peak hours particularly at Tambaram where commuters travelling towards the city and suburbs struggled to board already packed coaches during peak hours.
“It’s definitely overwhelming and suffocating. Services are insufficient and timings unreliable,” fumed Rajasri. “The train stopped at Chetpet for 10-15 minutes. It took more than an hour to reach Egmore from Meenambakkam. Such stoppages only worsen the situation when compartments are extremely crowded.”
Though Southern Railway stated trains would run every 20-25 minutes instead of the usual 15-minute interval, commuters reported longer gaps around 30-40 minutes for Tambaram-bound trains and nearly an hour for Chengalpattu services. Passengers also said return services towards the city were operating at erratic timings.
“The 20-minute interval is not true. I’ve been waiting for more than 30 minutes,” lamented Ismail from Kodambakkam station, who was trying to reach Egmore.
Travel time has increased significantly, with some commuters reporting delays of up to 35 minutes between Nungambakkam and Egmore, while longer-distance journeys stretched well beyond usual duration. Commuters pointed to three continuing issues, reduced services, erratic train timings, and longer travel time to reach the city as disruption on the suburban network persists.
“I think I’ll reach home by 9 pm only. I’ve already informed my parents about it. I cannot board a crowded train for safety reasons,” rued Jaya Bharathi, a second year college student who awaits at Egmore station to reach Tiruneermalai.
The disruption also pushed up ridership on Metro Rail. Data from CMRL showed 3.99 lakh passengers travelled on Friday, compared to the usual 3.6-3.7 lakh. Guindy saw 21,260 passengers compared to its normal 16,000-17,000, while the airport Metro handled 23,385 passengers, nearly 5,000 more than usual.
However, commuters said that the introduction of shuttle services between Guduvanchery and St Thomas Mount, along with additional buses operated by MTC under CUMTA coordination, has not provided adequate relief. “Why would anyone prefer road travel? I need to reach Omandurar hospital, and my reliable route is by train till St Thomas Mount and then Metro. But I could not board the train on time at Tambaram,” said Jennifer.
Suburban EMU services on the corridor are scheduled to remain reduced for several more weeks as maintenance works continue at Egmore.