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The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
Station redevelopment works slow down suburban services on Chengalpattu-Beach route
Passengers of the suburban train services on the south section have been switching over to Metro trains as the Electrical multiple units (EMUs) from Chengalpattu to Beach via Tambaram have been facing operational delays during the morning peak hours. This section has the highest commuter population — 9 lakh of the total 18 lakh who travel daily in suburban trains. T. Vinoth Kumar, a regular commuter, said while the Southern Railway operates several services during the morning peak hours, all the trains are halted before the Egmore Railway Station to accommodate both the fast and slow services on the same platform, thereby causing delays. After the fourth line between the Egmore and Beach stations got commissioned, the fast trains, which used to get precedence till Beach, have been operated as slow services from the Egmore station. 'Railway officials must take steps to prevent the operational delays,' Mr. Kumar said. A. Joshna, another commuter, said the Egmore Railway Station had become a bottleneck, as the fast trains that operated on mail and express track used to halt at Platform 11 and would then be redirected to the third line or fast line towards Beach with stops at Park and Fort Stations. However, after the fourth line was commissioned, the platform where fast trains halted at the Fort station was demolished. The Railway officials are now forced to accommodate both the fast and slow trains on the track for slow trains from Egmore to Beach station, leading to congestion and delays, she said. A senior official of the Chennai Division said they were working to prevent the delays caused by speed restrictions imposed in view of the ongoing station redevelopment works, including at Guindy, Saidapet, and Mambalam, under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. While the Railway officials are working to remove the speed restrictions in phases, it is not feasible for fast trains to skip any of the two stations (Park and Fort), as they are vital links to the Central Railway Station and the Moore Market Complex Station, and the Secretariat respectively.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Commuters say recent speed restrictions on west section cause delay in train services
: As part of safety measures, the Southern Railway recently issued a new set of speed restrictions for suburban trains operated from the Moore Market complex (MMC) to Arakkonam via Avadi and Tiruvallur on the west section. However, commuters call it a retrograde step as this has led to fast local trains running behind schedule during the morning and evening hours. While the Beach-Chengalpattu via Tambaram has the highest population (more than 6 lakh), the west section — supposed to be the longest route covered by the Chennai Division — till Arakkonam and Tiruttani operates the highest number of electric multiple units (241 services). Unlike the other three sections, the west section has remained a major challenge for railway officials because of multiple crossovers between mainline mail, express and suburban trains. The officials said there was a total of 12 crossovers, and this put a lot of pressure on both the safe and punctual operation of the trains. In the circular issued on June 25, loco-pilots have been directed to maintain a speed of 15 km per hour, as against the earlier 30 kmph for suburban trains and fast locals, in 12 places, including Basin Bridge, Vyasarpadi, Villivakkam, Pattabhiram, Tiruvallur, and Arakkonam. T. Prasanna, a regular commuter from Tiruvallur, said ever since the speed restrictions were announced, the suburban services have been taking a lot of time to reach their destinations, especially during the peak hours. Even if they chose to ride fast local trains, it took a minimum of two hours to reach MMC from Tiruvallur, as after Villivakkam, the trains had to be operated on the slow line. S. Purushoth, a resident of Avadi, said that earlier, the suburban trains from Basin Bridge station would operate at 30 kmph without hindrance, but now the EMUs were being held up invariably for want of green signal and in cases where they are given the go ahead, the trains were operated at 5 kmph. A senior official of the Chennai Division said the speed restrictions had been introduced for safety purposes as passengers' safety preceded punctuality. The section has multiple crossovers, with five major ones affecting the train services at Avadi, Ambattur, and Vyasarpadi. 'We are looking into the issue, and if feasible, the speed restrictions would be removed in phases,' he said. Regarding a few trains bound for MMC getting help up at Vyasarpadi, the senior railway official said this was because two trains — one to MMC and the other to Beach — were being operated back-to-back. For this, a loop line is being planned at Vyasarpadi for halting the Beach train to let the one to MMC proceed. In the meantime, loop lines are also being planned at Ambattur and Avadi to operate suburban trains without obstacles, but this project could take some time.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority seeks report on Madambakkam lake encroachment
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority (TNSWA) has requested an immediate action taken report from district authorities regarding the protection and management of Madambakkam Lake in Chengalpattu district. The direction, issued by Srinivas R Reddy, principal chief conservator of forests and member secretary of TNSWA, comes in the wake of multiple petitions filed by local residents and environmental activists raising concerns over sewage pollution, encroachments, and developmental threats to the waterbody. The lake, recorded as 'Periya Eri' in the A-register, is spread on 247 acres, but discrepancies were flagged as the Field Measurement Book (FMB) sketch shows only 237 acres. The authority said there was a need to verify the actual extent of the lake and noted that the district forest officer, Chennai Division, was asked to submit a field inspection report, which is still pending. The TNSWA letter said petitions were received alleging unregulated development in survey numbers closer to the lake, which could increase flood risks during heavy rains. The lake is listed in ISRO's National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA) reports of 2011 and 2021. In line with the Supreme Court's order dated December 11, 2024, the authority instructed district officials to conduct ground truthing and shapefile demarcation to legally protect the lake under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Survey begins for doubling of tracks on the route between Arakkonam and Chengalpattu
: In a major development for rail users taking the Kancheepuram and Thirumalpur route, the Southern Railway has begun a survey for doubling the tracks from Chengalpattu to Arakkonam via Takkolam. The track doubling will help ease rail traffic, and create a dedicated corridor for operating direct suburban train services from Arakkonam to Chengalpattu, avoiding the need for circular route via Beach. M. Senthamil Selvan, Chief Public Relations officer of Southern Railway, said the Final Location Survey (FLS) for the project had been approved for the Chengalpattu-Arakkonam corridor via Kancheepuram and Thirumalpur. A branching track has been planned to link Palur-Paranur bypass. At present, the Chengalpattu to Arakkonam route, has only one track with nine railway stations. Some stations are Reddipalayam, Villiambakkam, Palur, Palayasivaram, Walajabad, Nathapettai, Old Kancheepuram and Kancheepuram. Kancheepuram junction serves as the freight hub for transporting not only industrial finished goods from Walajabad, but also agricultural and food materials. The suburban train services operated by the Chennai Division from Beach to Chengalpattu via Tambaram, which includes the Thirumalpur section, sees a patronage of more than 10 lakh people every day, with over one lakh commuters travelling to Thirumalpur. For several years, the residents in Kancheepuram have been requesting for doubling the tracks, at least from Thirumalpur to Chengalpattu, to create a dedicated suburban train corridor to Beach. J. Ranganathan, office bearer of the Chennai-Kanchi Rail Users Association, said thousands of office-goers and traders bound for Chennai opt for the cheap suburban services, but the lack of services from Kancheepuram to Chennai Beach makes it a daily struggle. Normally, a few train services, which are operated to Chengalpattu, are extended to Thirumalpur via Kancheepuram on the single track. Commuters in Kancheepuram have been seeking the doubling of tracks for a long time as that would help thousands of workers from as far as Tiruvallur, Arakkonam and Tiruttani to have direct train facilities to Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, instead of the time-consuming circular route that is now being operated, he added. D. Kishore Kumar, a member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC), had highlighted the issue in a recent meeting with senior railway officials of the Chennai Division. He had stressed the need to upgrade Kancheepuram to a suburban category in the light of the municipality being made a Corporation and increasing migration from Chennai. This section was the only one left out in the region under the Chennai division, though it has been fetching high freight and passenger revenue. Mr. Kumar said track doubling project had become pertinent for operating freight trains because of the presence of automobile hub at Walajabad and the goods shed in Kancheepuram. The Southern Railway has a line capacity utilisation of 105%, and this is projected to increase by 119% in 2025. The Southern Railway, having converted all meter gauge tracks to broad gauge by 2010, converted the meter gauge of the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu section to broad gauge in 2019, after several years of delay due to land acquisition issues. The broad gauge line was commissioned in January 2019, creating a direct track link from Chengalpattu to Arakkonam. The Southern Railway, having converted all meter gauge tracks to broad gauge by 2010, converted the meter gauge of the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu section to broad gauge in 2019, after several years of delay due to land acquisition issues. The broad gauge line was commissioned in January 2019, creating a direct track link from Chengalpattu to Arakkonam.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- The Hindu
Ride easy: reimagining Chennai's future rail networks
For nearly three decades, two facts at odds with each other, yet true, have coexisted in Chennai. While only incremental additions have been made to the vast suburban railway network, the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) and the Metro Rail have been established. The Metro Rail, in particular, has revolutionised the core city travel. In 1993, the metre gauge was converted into broad gauge for operating bigger trains and accommodating more city commuters. Since then, there have been very few attempts to improve the network or passenger amenities. In 2007, 14 years later, the MRTS service was started from Beach to Velachery. It created a scenic elevated traffic-free corridor, but the uptake was not as good as was anticipated. As a consequence, passenger amenities did not go far. In 2025, MRTS commuters still have to put up with badly-lit stations, unpaved paths, ill-maintained parking lots, leaky platform shelters, and the lack of clean public conveniences. The suburban services that carry more than 18 lakh commuters daily remain the bridge between the suburbs and the city. The fare is the most affordable. For office-goers and traders coming from as far away as Arakkonam, Chengalpattu, and Sullurupetta in Andhra Pradesh, the suburban services are the only option to commute to the city without spending much time, or money. But, for a burgeoning city and its suburbs, there is always a demand for more: more lines, more services, and better passenger amenities. The Metro Rail project has revolutionised intra-city travel; over the last decade or so, it has shortened distances within the city. With better passenger amenities, more attention to barrier-free access and better-maintained stations and coaches, this system has become the daily commute option for many residents. The first phase created a 45-kilometre network comprising corridor-I (Washermanpet to Airport) and corridor-ll (Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount). Other lines have been planned and anyone who visits the city today understands that Chennai is in the throes of development, largely on account of Metro Rail. Finally, attention is being paid to the wholesome development of railway services in their entirety, in the last five years or so. Will the rail transport network in Chennai become vastly better a decade down the line? Here are some developments that could make things better for the city: The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) could not have come at a better time. A total of 90 stations in Southern Railway were selected for redevelopment and 15 stations of them from the Chennai Division. The 15 stations are Beach, Perambur, Tiruvallur, Arakkonam, Chengalpattu, Guindy, Ambattur, Mambalam, Park, St. Thomas Mount, Guduvanchery, Thiruttani, Jolarpet, Gummidipoondi, and Sullurupetta. A senior railway official said that at first, 15 stations were selected, and then two more were added to the list. They are Chromepet and Thirusulam. The ABSS is meant to redevelop the stations by showcasing local landmarks. It also seeks to improve approach roads and circulating areas; install food stalls, CCTV surveillance, and digital signboards; increase the length of platforms; and enhance the access for persons with disabilities through the Divyangjan project. Details of redevelopment St. Thomas Mount: inaugurated Sullurupetta: completed Park (90% completed): cost ₹10.68 crore (lifts, platform resurfacing, and a new facade). Thiruttani (85% completed): cost ₹11.67 crore (a bigger concourse, arch facade, new circulating area, paving of the parking space). Guindy (75% completed): cost ₹8.50 crore (a new booking counter, lifts, and platform resurfacing). Gummidipoondi (74% completed): cost ₹15.62 crore (a new pedestrian plaza, station building, new parking space, and lifts). Mambalam (72% completed): cost ₹8.70 crore (a new booking counter on the western side, pedestrian plaza, replacing of the roofing shelter, wide parking area, and lifts and escalators). Jolarpet (70% progress): cost ₹15 crore (a new two-storey station building, additional platforms and shelters, bigger circulating area and a new foot overbridge). Ambattur (70% progress): cost ₹10.48 crore (a new station building, canopy porch and arched entrance, and platform resurfacing). Tiruvallur (68% completed): cost ₹14.40 crore (a new concourse with porch, new parking space, provision of new platform shelters, and foot overbridge). Chengalpattu (65% progress): cost ₹17.74 crore (construction of a two-storey administration building, paving of new pedestrian pathway, new booking counter, retiring rooms, and lifts). Arakkonam (63% completed): cost ₹20.58 crore (a new station building, parking space, renovation of existing station building, and lifts. Guduvanchery (54% progress): cost ₹14.80 crore (redevelopment of the existing building, new entrance with elegant arches, new parking space, and lifts). Beach (44% progress): cost ₹11.08 crore (new pedestrian zones, parking space widening, and resurfacing of all platforms). Perambur (42% completed): cost ₹15.86 crore (a new commercial building, replacement of the old platform shelter, huge parking space, resurfacing of platforms, and lifts and escalators). The Chromepet station is to be redeveloped at a cost of ₹14.18 crore, and Thirusulam at a cost of ₹15.60 crore. Fourth line The Chennai Division completed the fourth line from Beach to Egmore at a cost of ₹275 crore. It will help to operate dedicated suburban and mail and express services on four lines. Egmore redevelopment The proposed redevelopment of the Egmore station, the second railway terminal in the city, at a cost of ₹735 crore. Tambaram sector There are plans for making Tambaram the third terminal and for the construction of a halt station at Kilambakkam at a cost of ₹20 crore. The halt station, proposed and funded by the Tamil Nadu government, will help thousands of passengers boarding the long-distance buses at the Kilambakkam bus terminus. MRTS services The MRTS services are operated from Beach to Velachery. The stretch has 17 stations. The stretch was inaugurated by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in 2007. The project was partly funded by the State government. At the inauguration, Karunanidhi had announced extension of the line to St. Thomas Mount. The announcement gave hope that commuters would get the much-needed connectivity to the Tambaram-Beach section. After 18 years, the project, which was caught in problems of land acquisition for 500 metres for several years, was finally over. But the project has not been completed as the phase 2 elevated corridor of Metro Rail linking the St. Thomas Mount station is set to be constructed above the MRTS line. AC train The Chennai Division started running an air-conditioned suburban train in March this year in the Beach-Chengalpattu section for commuters willing to pay a higher fare. Railway officials hope that the AC services will become popular. In fact, the Chennai Division has requested for the second AC train to be operated in the western section. Central station The iconic Dr. MGR Chennai Central Railway Station is the gateway for passengers arriving in the city. But it is sticking out like a sore thumb. Earlier attempts by Southern Railway to develop this station have borne no fruit, and the station is dirty. There have only been piecemeal improvements. Metro rail Phase 1 extension The phase I extension network has established seamless connectivity to some parts of north Chennai. It runs 9.05 km with one corridor (Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar). Phase 2 The phase-II project will establish a network of 120 km with three corridors: corridor 3 (From Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri-SIPCOT), corridor-4 (From Light House to Poonamallee Bypass), and corridor-5 (From Madhavaram Milk Colony to Sholinganallur). When this network becomes fully operational, it will improve the commute since passengers will be able to change from Metro Rail's phase I network to phase II network and from phase II network to the suburban train and MRTS systems. South extension Chennai Metro Rail Limited has also planned to establish a southern side extension, from the Airport to Kilambakkam (15.46 km).
