Vital point: The Moore Market Complex (MMC) station, the nerve centre of suburban train operation on the western and northern routes, is teeming with thousands of commuters. Those alighting here run to board MTC buses or trudge along the Central square to get into suburban trains at the MRTS Park station or Metro Rail.
| Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
The punctuality of the suburban train services is slipping day by day in the western section, leaving commuters, in particular office-goers, in the lurch. Any given day, the Moore Market Complex (MMC) station, the nerve centre of suburban train operation on the western and northern routes, is teeming with thousands of commuters waiting for trains. Those alighting here run to catch MTC buses or trudge along the Central square to board suburban trains at the Park station of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) or the Metro Rail.
Direct services
A few years ago, before the construction of the fourth line from Beach to Egmore, office-goers from Arakkonam, Tiruvallur and Avadi bound for Thiruvanmiyur, Taramani, and Rajiv Gandhi Salai (the Information Technology Corridor) did not suffer the pressure of having to get down at the MMC Station and hurry towards the Park station to catch the MRTS trains. For, direct services were operated. Furthermore, the MRTS services were run at a gap of 15 minutes at peak hours. However, the MRTS services have come down after the fourth line was built and 50 suburban train services have been cut in the western section.
S. Murali, a regular commuter from Pattabhiram, says it has become a routine for electric trains to run late on the Chennai Central-Arakkonam-Tiruvallur-Avadi route, causing severe inconvenience to office-goers, college students, and traders. Under the pretext of operating 12-car rakes that replaced the nine-car rakes and citing track maintenance and other projects, Southern Railway had cancelled 52 services in the timetable issued last year. What is more, the trains that are being operated are not running on time.
Commuters are mainly concerned about the trains running late owing to technical issues or maintenance projects. Once the Tiruvallur-MMC train would reach Avadi at 10.25 a.m.; nowadays, it is late by at least 15 minutes.
T. Srinivasan, a passenger from Thirumullaivoyal, says the train services from Avadi to the MMC take a minimum of 45 minutes and currently, they are running late by over 15 minutes. For railway officials, a delay of 5-10 minutes does not matter; but, for the commuters, it does because they have to switch to a bus or another train, he adds.
Citing the better operation of train services from Beach to Tambaram, where the delay is minimal, the commuters in the western section highlight the need for improving the services at least during morning and evening peak hours.
Though the Chennai Division operates fast trains and mainline electrical multiple units (MEMU) services (any train operated on the express line), in addition to regular trains, the MEMU operated from Tiruttani to the MMC reaches Avadi and the MMC late. If a commuter is not able to board the MEMU at Avadi, he has to wait for 30 minutes for the next train to reach the MMC.
Lack of information
Commuters also complain about the lack of information or notification about the delayed running of trains at important stations. If at all a notification is made, it is only just before the train arrives. Hence, passengers are unable to change their travel plans and are stranded at the stations. Language issues play a role in the absence of information as most of the station managers are from the northern States and do not know the local language, commuters say.
The constraints in the operation of suburban train services come in the way of priority being given to the express trains in maintenance at the workshops. Owing to this, suburban trains bound for Tiruvallur and Arakkonam are made to wait outside the Avadi station for more than 10 minutes in the evening.
M. Lakshmi of Korattur is working at the Secretariat. She says that in the evening, the suburban trains are halted near Basin Bridge, Vyasarpadi, and Villivakkam for allowing express trains to be operated.
Three new services
A senior official of Southern Railway says 320 electric trains, carrying more than six lakh passengers, are being operated daily to Arakkonam, Tiruttani, Pattabiram Military Siding, and Avadi. Though 52 services were cancelled, three new services have been added, and several cancelled services will resume operation after maintenance gets over.
As for the delay in train services, the official says that currently, the punctuality rate is 95% in the western section. Sometimes, the trains are delayed due to unavoidable reasons like signal failure. Southern Railway is also taking steps to switch all suburban trains to 12-car rakes from nine-car rakes, he adds.
Published – April 15, 2025 10:28 pm IST