Suburban Train Service Cuts Disrupt Chennai; Commuters Turn to Metro, Seek More Services
The sudden reduction in suburban electric train services has badly disrupted Chennai’s transport system, putting thousands of daily commuters in serious difficulty. With fewer suburban trains running, many regular passengers have been forced to depend on the Chennai Metro Rail, leading to heavy crowding at metro stations over the last three days.
The problem has arisen due to ongoing reconstruction work at Egmore Railway Station, one of the city’s key railway stations. To carry out the work smoothly, the railway administration has reduced suburban services on the Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu suburban route.
Earlier, 204 suburban electric trains operated daily on this route. This has now been cut to 160, with 44 services cancelled. The railways have announced that this arrangement will continue until April 5, nearly 45 days, creating major inconvenience for lakhs of passengers who depend on these trains every day.
As a result, fewer trains are carrying far more passengers, leading to severe overcrowding, pushing, and long waiting times. Many office-goers have been reaching work late, while students have been delayed in getting to colleges. Elderly passengers and women have found travel particularly difficult amid the rush.
Since the 20th, suburban electric trains on the Tambaram–Egmore section have also been running late, worsening the situation. Even on a recent holiday, delays continued, causing hardship to passengers.
With growing uncertainty over suburban train timings, many commuters have shifted to the Chennai Metro. This has led to an unusual surge in passenger numbers at metro stations. In view of the ongoing disruption, there is now a strong demand from the public to increase metro services until suburban train operations return to normal.
