Ride easy: reimagining Chennai’s future rail networks

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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.

In 2007, the MRTS service was started from Beach to Velachery. In 2025, 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.

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.