Suburban rail commuters travelling between the city’s northern and southern corridors have urged Southern Railway to increase the frequency of Mass Rapid Transit system (MRTS) trains during peak hours, from the present 20 minutes to 10 minutes.

Passengers travelling from Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, Avadi and other western suburbs to destinations along the MRTS corridor said the reduced frequency has made daily commuting difficult, especially for office-goers who depend on connecting suburban and MRTS services.

Long wait and platform rush

P.K. Narayanan, a commuter from Korattur travelling to Mount Road, said MRTS services earlier operated at 10-minute intervals during peak hours. “The most affected were the commuters who travel from areas such as Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, Avadi, Korattur, and Villivakkam,” he said.

Commuters said changing platforms at Chennai Beach station had become stressful due to the 20-minute gap between trains. “Most often, the Arakkonam-Beach trains halt at platform 4 or 5 at Beach. For the onward journey towards the south, say to Chepauk and Adyar, one needs to catch the MRTS train at platform 8. For people aged 50+ like me, changing platforms is exhausting,” said Rajan Boopathy from Villivakkam. Often, he says, he missed the train and had to wait for another 20 minutes.

Southern commuters face issues

Passengers from the southern suburbs also complained of long waiting times and poor last-mile connectivity around MRTS stations. “Sometimes, when I miss the MRTS train at Velachery, instead of waiting for 20 minutes, I take my vehicle back to OTA-Nanganallur Road Metro to reach the office on time,” said S.K. Subramanya from Madipakkam.

Railway cites operational constraints

Railway officials said operational limitations linked to redevelopment works at Chennai Egmore station were affecting MRTS services.

The issue intensified after MRTS services between Chennai Beach and Velachery were temporarily curtailed in August 2023 to facilitate the construction of a fourth railway line between Egmore and Chennai Beach. Though services resumed fully in October 2024, commuters said delays and bottlenecks continue. –

According to railway sources, pending land transfer issues near Chennai Fort and track-sharing arrangements have also affected train movement speeds between Fort and Beach stations.

While Southern Railway has upgraded several suburban services in the northern and western sections from nine-car to 12-car EMUs, many elevated MRTS stations can still accommodate only nine-car trains, limiting operational flexibility.

A senior Southern Railway official said the present arrangements were temporary and linked to the ongoing ₹842-crore Chennai Egmore redevelopment project.

“As part of the redevelopment process, operational constraints arising out of regulation of Express train services between Chennai Egmore, Tambaram and Chennai Beach have necessitated temporary adjustments in train operations,” the official said.

The official added that increasing MRTS frequency was not feasible at present, but operational flexibility and infrastructure capacity were expected to improve after completion of the development works.

Senior railway officials of the Chennai division of Southern Railway convened a meeting with members of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) to discuss the various demands of the loco running staff, including the slow progress of the recruitment of loco drivers. 

The meeting comes in the wake of more than 1,000 loco staff affiliated with the SRMU submitting mass leave applications to protest the neglect of their demands. 

Paul Maxwell Johnson, Divisional secretary of SRMU, said goods loco drivers are being made to work nearly 12 hours against a nine-hour shift. Some of their demands include providing night rest for loco drivers performing continuous night duties, providing air-conditioned cabins for loco drivers, and sanctioning of leaves for eligible loco drivers. 

Regarding the slow progress of loco drivers, the SRMU wanted the loco pilot selection list to be published and any pending promotions and depot transfers to be issued.

In its memorandum, the SRMU said that the slow progress of the selection of loco drivers was causing hardships in the shunting of locos, electrical multiple unit (EMU) train operations and also long-distance trains. 

A senior official of Southern Railway said that SRMU’s demands have been noted and would be resolved.  

An express train approached a level crossing gate that was open to road traffic near Katpadi on the night of September 17, 2025 and led to a heated exchange of words between the road users and the gateman.

According to railway sources, the gateman was unaware of the approaching express train as a telecommunication failure had disrupted contact between him and the Station Master of the railway station from where the train departed.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. between the Polur and Mathimangalam railway stations in the Tiruchi Division of Southern Railway. Eyewitnesses said the train was continuously sounding the horn while nearing the open level crossing, prompting road users to confront the gateman alleging dereliction of duty. The gate was subsequently closed and the train crossed safely, sources said.

Communication failure

A senior railway official told The Hindu on Saturday that a telecommunication failure led to the incident. “As the gateman could not be reached, the locopilot was given a caution order authorising him to proceed at a restricted speed towards the gate. Being an interlocked level crossing, the signal turned to ‘danger’. Upon seeing the train, the gateman followed the standard procedure and locked the gate allowing the train to pass,” he said.

The official said there was no violation of safety guidelines and an inquiry into the incident had been ordered. “The telecommunication failure only affected train punctuality,” he said, requesting not to be quoted.

In the wake of recent accidents at level crossing gates across various zones, including a tragic collision near the Alapakkam railway station that claimed the lives of three school students, the Ministry of Railways has issued a fresh safety advisory aimed at preventing similar incidents.

The Railway Board, expressing serious concern over recurring mishaps, has directed all zonal railways to ensure unobstructed visibility of both road traffic and boom barriers from the gate operating panel to enable timely and safe operations. “Gatemen must strictly ensure that no vehicle is present between the boom barriers before initiating gate closure,” an advisory said.

Monitor compliance

Describing the accidents as “unfortunate” events, the Railway Board asked General Managers of zonal railways to strictly monitor compliance with safety protocols and ensure their implementation across the network.

The advisory asked senior officials to check and confirm that all road safety devices, such as signals/signage, hooters, and speed breakers, were available and in proper working condition to alert road users. It should also be ensured that all operation facilities required for safe gate operation and emergency handling, as specified in the Gate Working Rules (GWR), should be functional at every level crossing.

The officials were also told to conduct regular counselling and training of gatemen, along with systematic inspections of level crossing gates, for assessing their familiarity with both routine and emergency procedures.