Begin typing your search...
Metro patronage doubles post Central-Airport link
Patronage of Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) has doubled ever since it linked Anna Salai and Chennai Central to the Airport on May 25.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
On an average, daily, around 45,000 people commute using the Metro since the inauguration of Central metro station, against the 22,000 and odd who had travelled daily till then. Remarkably, CMRL, which offered free rides for a few days from the date of inauguration on May 25, has recorded a maximum footfall of nearly 60,000 on one instance.
CMRL officials revealed to DT Next that 59,640 and 51,850 people boarded the Metro on June 1 and May 30, respectively. Though the number had trickled down marginally to 45,420 on June 18 and 42,780 on June 17, the average daily footfall has been consistently hovering above the 40,000 mark, a two-fold jump in patronage, courtesy the Metro link established between the busiest railway station and international/domestic airport of the state headquarters.
CMRL officials, who proposed the establishment of airport link in the first phase of the project stand vindicated, courtesy airport station, which receives maximum passengers in the entire network in a given day, followed by Central, Vadapalani, Tirumangalam and CMBT stations.
Pachaiyappa’s and Kilpauk Metro stations make least revenue
Even as the daily patronage for Metro rail went up substantially after the airport was linked with Central railway station, a closer look at the daily ridership shows that the Pachaiyappa’s and Kilpauk Metro stations have relatively poor patronage - less than one-seventh as that of the airport station.
Tirumangalam station recorded maximum footfall during the fiveand-a-half-hour peak traffic period. Of the 4,040 recorded in Tirumangalam that day, 2,250 were during peak hours.
Chennai Central metro station, which is touted to become the busiest station of the 45km metro network in future, has recorded a daily footfall of over 3,200, including 1,350 during peak hours.
Pachaiyappa’s College and Kilpauk were the least revenue-generating stations, where the average daily footfall had not crossed even 700 once. CMRL officers who called opening of Chennai Central station a crucial link, which was missing till last month, attributed the spike in footfall to the speed and ease in communication.
“Why would people pay over Rs 200 to reach Airport from Central by a taxi in over an hour, if they can cover the same distance in 40 minutes even during peak hours? Speed, time and comfort have been the key to increase in patronage,” a CMRL senior reasoned.
“People might argue that they could reach the airport from Central by EMU in Rs 5. But imagine the delay caused during peak hours and the rush, and above all the painful walk from Trisulam station to Airport entrance. Inauguration of walkalator connecting airport metro station to domestic and international entrance gates have only made metro preferable,” the officer argued.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
