A Decade On, Poor Patronage Continues To Dog MRTS Services

Accessibility issues and inadequate security turning away patrons

- R. Srikanth

The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) between Velachery and Chennai Beach has acquired a fair bit of traction among commuters in less than a decade. Yet, the elevated train service remains crowded only during peak hours.

While the Southern Railway operates the second-highest number of suburban train services in the city and has extended them to Avadi and Tiruvallur, poor patronage continues to plague some of the railway stations.

Poor accessibility, inadequate security and absence of last-mile connectivity are some of the issues turning away patrons.

Some stations including Perungudi, Taramani, Indira Nagar, Kotturpuram and Greenways Road are located in thickly populated, residential neighbourhoods but have poor patronage. In some cases, the lack of a parking lot itself makes MRTS a less convenient mode of travel.