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.”