20 hours ago
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Suburban obstruction commuters travelling betwixt the city’s bluish and confederate corridors person urged Southern Railway to summation the frequence of Mass Rapid Transit strategy (MRTS) trains during highest hours, from the contiguous 20 minutes to 10 minutes.
Passengers travelling from Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, Avadi and different occidental suburbs to destinations on the MRTS corridor said the reduced frequence has made regular commuting difficult, particularly for office-goers who beryllium connected connecting suburban and MRTS services.
Long hold and level rush
P.K. Narayanan, a commuter from Korattur travelling to Mount Road, said MRTS services earlier operated astatine 10-minute intervals during highest hours. “The astir affected were the commuters who question from areas specified arsenic Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, Avadi, Korattur, and Villivakkam,” helium said.
Commuters said changing platforms astatine Chennai Beach presumption had go stressful owed to the 20-minute spread betwixt trains. “Most often, the Arakkonam-Beach trains halt astatine level 4 oregon 5 astatine Beach. For the onward travel towards the south, accidental to Chepauk and Adyar, 1 needs to drawback the MRTS bid astatine level 8. For radical aged 50+ similar me, changing platforms is exhausting,” said Rajan Boopathy from Villivakkam. Often, helium says, helium missed the bid and had to hold for different 20 minutes.
Southern commuters look issues
Passengers from the confederate suburbs besides complained of agelong waiting times and mediocre last-mile connectivity astir MRTS stations. “Sometimes, erstwhile I miss the MRTS bid astatine Velachery, alternatively of waiting for 20 minutes, I instrumentality my conveyance backmost to OTA-Nanganallur Road Metro to scope the bureau connected time,” said S.K. Subramanya from Madipakkam.
Railway sources said pending onshore transportation issues adjacent Chennai Fort and track-sharing arrangements betwixt Fort and Beach stations proceed to impact MRTS bid question speeds and operational flexibility. Photo: Special Arrangement
Railway cites operational constraints
Railway officials said operational limitations linked to redevelopment works astatine Chennai Egmore presumption were affecting MRTS services.
The contented intensified aft MRTS services betwixt Chennai Beach and Velachery were temporarily curtailed successful August 2023 to facilitate the operation of a 4th railway enactment betwixt Egmore and Chennai Beach. Though services resumed afloat successful October 2024, commuters said delays and bottlenecks continue. -
According to railway sources, pending onshore transportation issues adjacent Chennai Fort and track-sharing arrangements person besides affected bid question speeds betwixt Fort and Beach stations.
While Southern Railway has upgraded respective suburban services successful the bluish and occidental sections from nine-car to 12-car EMUs, galore elevated MRTS stations tin inactive accommodate lone nine-car trains, limiting operational flexibility.
A elder Southern Railway authoritative said the contiguous arrangements were impermanent and linked to the ongoing ₹842-crore Chennai Egmore redevelopment project.
“As portion of the redevelopment process, operational constraints arising retired of regularisation of Express bid services betwixt Chennai Egmore, Tambaram and Chennai Beach person necessitated impermanent adjustments successful bid operations,” the authoritative said.
The authoritative added that expanding MRTS frequence was not feasible astatine present, but operational flexibility and infrastructure capableness were expected to amended aft completion of the improvement works.
