Suburban rail commuters in Chennai are facing mounting disruptions as services on the crucial Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu corridor remain curtailed. Southern Railway has introduced 26 shuttle trains from Tuesday between Egmore–St Thomas Mount and Guduvanchery–Chengalpattu in a bid to ease congestion and cut waiting times. The move effectively restores around 10 services in each direction.
However, the relief has come with a trade-off. The shuttle trains bypass key inner-city stations such as Nungambakkam and Kodambakkam, while most also skip Chetpet and Mambalam. As a result, short-distance passengers are increasingly dependent on the reduced Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) services.
Chennai Suburban Metro Reports 5th Day Of Disruption
The reduction in services, announced earlier for a 45-day period from February 20 to April 5, has entered its fifth day. Thousands of office-goers from southern suburbs including Chengalpattu, Perungalathur, Guduvanchery, Tambaram, and Pallavaram report severe hardship.
Due to ongoing redevelopment works at Chennai Egmore Railway Station, suburban train operations are temporarily revised from 20 Feb to 05 Apr 2026 (45 days).
🔹Suburban services will be dealt from Platform 05 & 06 instead of Platform 10 & 11
🔹Trains will run with revised… pic.twitter.com/5Qu3TVtUvX— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) February 17, 2026
Passengers say trains are arriving at intervals of 30 to 45 minutes instead of the earlier 20-minute frequency. Tambaram station and other hubs have witnessed heavy crowding, with commuters struggling to board packed coaches, reported DT Next. Parents have raised safety concerns for students ahead of March examinations, noting that overcrowding has made even first-class season tickets ineffective.
Dayanidhi Maran Urges To Provide Explanation
DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran said he met Southern Railway’s general manager to highlight that nearly 60% of trains between Tambaram and Beach had been halted. According to Maran, the railway administration has assured him that additional buses will be deployed during peak hours starting Monday and that coach capacity will be increased. He added that the matter would be escalated to the Railway Minister if required.
Maran also flagged the recent shift of several express trains from Chennai Egmore railway station to Tambaram, arguing that this has compounded commuter challenges. With fewer suburban electric services, many passengers have struggled to reach Tambaram in time, leading to missed long-distance trains over the past five days.
He warned that with final examinations approaching in schools and colleges, prolonged disruption could severely affect thousands of students. Maran urged railway authorities to provide a detailed explanation for the sudden reduction and ensure adequate advance notice and safeguards for commuters in future operational changes.
Metro Sees Passenger Surge
Meanwhile, the strain on suburban rail has translated into higher footfall on Chennai Metro Rail. Officials report a rise of around 20,000 daily passengers since February 20. Suburban-linked Metro stations such as Alandur, St Thomas Mount, and Airport are witnessing an additional 2,000 to 3,000 commuters each day.
Parking facilities at Metro stations are filling up rapidly, underscoring the shift in commuter patterns as rail users seek alternative modes of transport.
With suburban train services significantly scaled down, calls are growing louder for swift restoration of normal schedules to prevent further disruption across the city’s southern corridor.
