Chennai: Monday’s peak-hour commute didn’t bring the expected relief, as even the revised 20-25 minute frequency on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu suburban corridor failed to alleviate commuters’ hardship. Key stations like Tambaram, Kodambakkam, Nungambakkam, Guindy, and Egmore remained crowded, with passengers rushing to board the limited service. The reduced number of trains further exacerbated the morning peak hours, especially at Tambaram, where city and suburban-bound passengers struggled to board the already overcrowded coaches. “It’s definitely too much and suffocating. The services aren’t enough, and the timings are unreliable,” Rajashree fumed. “The train stopped for 10-15 minutes at Chetpet. It took over an hour to reach Egmore from Meenambakkam. Such stoppages only worsen the situation when the coaches are overcrowded.” Although Southern Railway stated that trains would run every 20-25 minutes instead of the usual 15-minute interval, passengers reported a gap of approximately 30-40 minutes for trains to Tambaram and nearly an hour for Chengalpattu services. Passengers also said that return services to the city were also running at irregular timings. Ismail of Kodambakkam station, who was trying to reach Egmore, lamented, “The 20-minute interval is not true. I’ve been waiting for more than 30 minutes.” Travel times have increased significantly, with some passengers reporting delays of up to 35 minutes between Nungambakkam and Egmore, while long-distance journeys have become much longer than usual. Passengers pointed to three persistent problems: reduced service, irregular train timings, and longer travel times to the city due to disruptions on the suburban network. “I think I’ll only be able to reach home by 9 p.m. I’ve already informed my parents. I can’t board a crowded train for safety reasons,” said Jaya Bharathi, a second-year college student waiting to reach Tiruneermalai at Egmore station. The disruption also led to a surge in Metro Rail ridership. CMRL data showed that 3.99 lakh passengers travelled on Friday, compared to the usual 3.6-3.7 lakh. Guindy saw 21,260 passengers, compared to the usual 16,000-17,000, while the Airport Metro handled 23,385 passengers, about 5,000 more than usual. However, commuters said that the resumption of a shuttle service between Guduvanchery and St. Thomas Mount and additional buses operated by the MTC in coordination with the CUMTA haven’t provided much relief. Jennifer said, “Why would anyone choose to travel by road? I have to go to Omandurar Hospital, and my preferred route is to take the train to St. Thomas Mount and then the metro. But I couldn’t board the train in time at Tambaram.” Suburban EMU services on the corridor will be reduced for several more weeks due to ongoing maintenance work in Egmore.
Chennai: EMU blockage continues to disrupt daily commuting.
