2026 TN elections | Fares double, triple as Chennai voters head home; many forced to drop travel plans

CHENNAI: Voters planning to travel from Chennai to their hometowns ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23 faced a major setback, with transport fares doubling and, in some cases, tripling across bus, train and flight services.

Despite special trains announced by the Railways to ease travel, tickets were sold out within minutes of bookings opening, leaving many scrambling for alternatives.

Private omnibus fares also surged sharply on key routes from Chennai to Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Nagercoil, Madurai and Coimbatore. Tickets that typically cost around Rs 1,500 on weekdays are now priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000.

Airfares, too, have seen a steep rise, with ticket prices on several domestic routes from Chennai increasing two to three times amid high demand. For instance, a ticket costing Rs 3,319 to Rs 12,027 from Chennai to Salem and from Rs 6,670 to Rs 13,320 (touching Rs 29,397 via Bengaluru) for Madurai.

Passengers said the sharp hike has made travel unaffordable, forcing several voters, particularly those heading to southern districts, to reconsider or cancel their plans to return home and cast their votes.

The Election Commission has declared polling day a paid public holiday to facilitate voting and improve turnout. However, the spike in transport costs is emerging as a key hurdle for many.