Latest news with #Chennai-bound
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Limited AC local train service leads to low ridership; passengers demand more coaches, better monthly pass options
CHENNAI: Nearly a month after its launch, the AC local train operating on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu route sees only moderate patronage. One of the reasons is the limited availability as there are only eight AC local train services operating daily on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu route. As a result, passengers are weary of taking monthly passes. When TNIE spoke to passengers from Kilambakkam, Tambaram, Maraimalai Nagar, and Chengalpattu, many said that AC train fares are only affordable when using a monthly pass. As the service is very limited, it is difficult to get an AC train. A single journey ticket price ranges from Rs 35-Rs 105 from Chennai Beach to Chengalpattu, while monthly season passes cost between Rs 620-Rs 2,115, depending on the travel distance. 'I travelled on the AC service about seven times last month, paying Rs 85 for a ticket from Chennai Beach to Tambaram each time. The crowd on the train could easily fit into just three or four coaches. Had there been more trains with AC coaches, I would have purchased a monthly pass,' said Ramya Rajathy, a bank employee. The 12-car rake can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers, including both seated and standing travellers. However, only about 300-400 commuters are using the service per trip, according to sources. The evening service from Chennai Beach to Chengalpattu sees the highest demand, with occupancy levels crossing 40%. 'It's nearly impossible to board a Chennai-bound local train at Maraimalai Nagar during peak hours. So, I use a first-class non-AC monthly pass that costs Rs 2,100. But this pass isn't valid for AC trains. If one or two AC coaches were added to peak-hour services, I would switch to an AC monthly pass,' said Alex Varadhan, a government employee from Maraimalai Nagar who commutes to Chepauk daily. To improve the availability of AC coaches, until more such rakes are introduced in Chennai, rail passengers have called for the inclusion of AC coaches in non-AC local trains. Passengers have suggested splitting the AC rake and combining the coaches with non-AC trains. This, they believe, would improve availability and justify the cost of the monthly pass. However, railway officials said it's not possible to split the AC rake and operate a mixed AC/non-AC configuration. Divisional railway manager B Vishwanath Eerya said, 'Chennai will soon receive another AC rake for suburban services.'
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- The Hindu
New bus terminus opens to praise and practical challenges
M.S. Anitcham The newly-reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus, which was thrown open to the public on Friday, has evoked mixed passenger responses, with some praising the renovated facility and others flagging a few constraints. The facility, reconstructed by the NBCC (India) Limited — a Central public sector undertaking, at a cost of ₹15.75 crore under the Smart Cities Mission was formally opened to public use on May 2, after being delayed for long due to various factors since the foundation was laid in June 2023. Among its many touted features are 42 bus bays, 31 shops, two restaurants, four transport offices, parking facilities for six omni buses, a cloak room, an ATM, three general waiting halls with a capacity of 30 each, an air-conditioned waiting hall, two dormitories, and a parking lot that can accommodate 450 two-wheelers and 25 cars. The terminus also has an information centre, a CCTV room, ticket booking offices, an administrative building and a sanitation complex. The most glaring drawback that many users highlighted was the inadequate space earmarked for long-distance buses plying via ECR and Tindivanam bypass. Besides, the smart-city project which has increased the size of the terminus building, is yet to provide adequate parking shelters for long-duration buses that operate via ECR and bypass routes. The space constraints at the designated slots for these services are proving to be a hassle not just for passengers but also for transport personnel, who complain of insufficient parking bays for buses. With almost all the services getting operated from the facility — 182 buses travelling on the ECR route and 113 buses travelling on the bypass route towards Chennai — there is a jockeying for the limited space by a line of vehicles, especially during peak hours. 'Passengers face severe hardship as they are forced to stand in the sun while waiting for buses heading to Chennai, Mahe and other states, as there are no bus shelters,' said Shankar, a conductor. The ongoing construction of the shelter for Chennai-bound buses includes only three slots each — limiting the waiting area for travellers bound for Chennai. 'The area used for parking buses previously has been turned into a two-wheeler parking zone, now forcing the buses to be parked outside,'' said another bus crew personnel. 'While the building housing the shops in the bus terminus appears to be large, the number and size of the bus slots have been reduced,' he added. The commercial outlets in the new terminus are yet to be opened, with only Ponlait and Le Café being operational. Passengers and conductors also point out that the paid toilet system is unreasonable as they should not be made to pay for basic facilities in a public space. Many passengers suggested that the bus identification details should be made more visible. 'Change of locations of bus slots for each destination is confusing even for frequent commuters and people familiar with the previous layout,' states Panimalar and Kural, a married couple. Overall, passengers believe that the reconstructed terminus is a significant upgrade from its previous version. Also, while most commuters expressed satisfaction with the availability of clean drinking water and tidy slots for the buses, they expected the authorities to maintain the level of cleanliness visible during the launch of the renovated transport terminal on May 2 in future too.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- The Hindu
Travelling public in Coimbatore urge Southern Railway to operate Vande Bharat to Chennai with 16 coaches
The travelling public have urged the Southern Railway to consider operating the Coimbatore- Chennai- Coimbatore Vande Bharat train with 16 coaches by factoring in the high demand for tickets. The demand has surfaced in the wake of the announcement by the Southern Railway that Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express will be augmented with four Vande Bharat chair car coaches with effect from May 8 from both the ends to clear extra rush. While there are five other Chennai-bound trains from Coimbatore: Nilgiri Express, Cheran Express, Inter-City Express, Kovai Express, and Shatabdi Express, the demand for augmentation of coaches for the Vande Bharat Express that is operated with only eight coaches has been there for long. There has been robust patronage for the train and continuous waiting list since its introduction two years ago. The Southern Railway is yet to consider the demand for increasing the number of coaches to 16, J. Sathish, Director, Kongu Global Forum, said. The train, according to passengers, obviates the need for passengers visiting Chennai for quick purposes. The train starting from Coimbatore at 6 a.m. reaches Chennai Central at 11.50 a.m. In the return direction, the train starts at 2.15 p.m. and reaches Coimbatore Junction at 8.15 p.m. The waiting time of close to two-and-a-half hours has turned out to be hugely beneficial to passengers from Coimbatore travelling to Chennai and returning on the same day. Passenger patronage for the train is quite high from Tiruppur, Erode and Salem as well. For instance, several tickets have been waitlisted till May 9 on all days in both directions in the train, passengers point out.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPM slams 'highhanded' police action against differently-abled in Dharmapuri
The CPM slammed police and the DMK government for its action against members of the differently-abled community. Scores of differently-abled persons were deboarded from Chennai-bound buses and were arrested in a late-night crackdown on the protesters set to participate in the protests called by the TARATDAC (Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-Abled and Caregivers) here on Monday night. Tuesday's protests witnessed differently-abled persons steadfastly refusing to budge and eventually being picked up and held under arrest in Dharmapuri and was held in response to a call by TARATDAC for peaceful assembly in Chennai. The TARATDAC had called for an assembly of the differently-abled in Chennai on Tuesday to highlight the long-standing demands of the disability rights organisation – starting with enhanced disability pension proportionate to the degrees of disability; reducing the number of working hours for the differently abled; and guaranteeing of employment for differently-abled under the MGNREGS. On Monday night, hundreds of differently-abled people had boarded over 8 government buses to Chennai, while many had already left buses from Harur and other parts of the district. However, the Dharmapuri district police landed at the bus stand to prevent the buses from taking off, according to the TARATDAC members. The Communist Party of India(Marxist) slammed the police and the DMK government alleging highhanded action. In a bid to prevent mobilisation, district police here blockaded over 8 government buses Chennai-bound to participate in the protests called by the TARATDAC, says R. Sisubalan, district secretary, CPM. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sisubalan slammed the police action. 'The highhandedness of the district police is condemnable. The right to peaceful assembly, unionisation, and all of which are guaranteed under the constitution. The entire night, the differently-abled members were put to immense hardship by the actions of the police.'
