Timings of Chennai's first AC EMU train services revised after passenger feedback

CHENNAI: Officials of the Southern Railway (SR) on Tuesday revised the timings of the recently launched AC EMU based on passenger feedback.

As per the revised schedule, Train 49001 will leave Tambaram at 6.50 am and reach Chengalpattu at 7.35 am. Train 49002 will leave Chengalpattu at 7.50 am and reach Beach station at 9.25 am from May 2.

Trains 49003 and 49004 will leave Beach station and Tambaram at 9.41 am and 1 pm, respectively. Trains 49005 and 49006 will depart from Beach station and Chengalpattu at 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm, respectively. Trains 49007 and 49008 will leave from Beach station and Chengalpattu at 6.17 pm and 8.10 pm, respectively.

The rescheduling ensures that the morning and evening AC EMU services are more aligned to the travel patterns of the majority of suburban commuters, thereby maximising utility and enhancing passenger convenience, said a release issued by SR.

The Chennai Division of SR launched an intensive feedback campaign from April 19-24, inviting responses via WhatsApp, a Google feedback form, and through direct interaction by commercial inspectors and field staff. It received an overwhelming response recording over 600 entries from diverse sections of the public, including office-goers, women commuters and others, the SR release added.

Passenger feedback indicated a strong preference for advancing the arrival time of Train 49004 (Chengalpattu-Chennai Beach) to enable better connectivity for office-goers. It was also observed that the earliest morning service, Train 49002 (Tambaram-Chennai Beach) at 5:45 am, witnessed low patronage as the timing did not align with typical office and educational schedules.

Additionally, there was a notable demand for adjusting the timing of return services from Chennai Beach to better cater to the evening office dispersal rush between 6 pm and 6:30 pm.