CHENNAI: A day after chaos and confusion over Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) services on the Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu section being reduced and rescheduled due to the ongoing redevelopment at Egmore railway station, the Southern Railway on Saturday operated trains at 25-minute intervals and short shuttle services between Tambaram and St Thomas Mount to ease congestion.
In response to commuters' concerns about sparse services during peak hours and other difficulties, Southern Railway revised the timetable. It set up help desks at Tambaram and Egmore stations to guide passengers. Officials said the measures were aimed at streamlining passenger movement and improving last-mile connectivity through Metro rail.
P Balakrishnan, a regular commuter from Guduvanchery, noted that despite public announcements claiming trains would run every 15 minutes during peak hours, the actual frequency was closer to 30 minutes. “While the rush was minimal over the weekend, Monday is going to be very difficult,” he said.
V Prabakaran, a Pallavaram resident who travels daily to Chetpet, said many passengers were unaware of the reduced frequency, particularly visitors from other districts who rarely board trains at Egmore or Tambaram.
A Travelling Ticket Examiner on the Chennai Beach–Tambaram section said short-shuttle services between Tambaram and St Thomas Mount were being operated to enable passengers to switch to Metro services for Egmore. “Some trains are continuing up to Chengalpattu, and three help desks have been set up at Tambaram and Egmore,” the official noted.
An RPF personnel in the MSB–TBM section said awareness had improved compared to Friday, with regular announcements helping routine commuters. “Train frequency has also increased,” the official added.
Commuters reported a marked improvement on Saturday. K Gopu from Guindy said he had taken over an hour to reach Chetpet on Friday and was forced to walk along the tracks to Egmore late at night. “Today was much easier. I reached Egmore in about 15 minutes,” he said.
A help desk official at Egmore said staff were handling a steady stream of queries. “Select services are operating from Platforms 1 and 2, and trains between Chennai Beach and Tambaram may still face delays,” the official noted.