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Southern Railway has introduced additional EMU shuttle services between Guduvanchery and St Thomas Mount to manage commuter inconvenience caused by revised suburban train operations linked to redevelopment work at Chennai Egmore station. The changes had reduced direct services on the busy Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu corridor, leading to crowding and longer travel time. Trial runs of the shuttle services were conducted successfully before rollout. Transport representatives have raised concerns over lack of consultation and suggested better coordination and more fast local services to reduce passenger inconvenience.
Southern Railway has begun operating additional EMU shuttle services between Guduvanchery and St Thomas Mount to support daily commuters affected by temporary schedule revisions in Chennai's suburban rail network. The revised timetable was introduced due to ongoing redevelopment work at Chennai Egmore railway station, which required operational adjustments. Advertisement
The changes led to curtailment of certain direct suburban services, especially on the heavily used Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu corridor. Passengers experienced longer waiting times and increased crowding during peak hours. In response, railway authorities introduced shuttle services to maintain connectivity and reduce travel disruption.
The new shuttle trains allow commuters to travel up to St Thomas Mount, where they can interchange with Chennai Metro Rail services for access to other parts of the city. This interchange option is expected to reduce pressure on direct suburban services heading toward Chennai Beach and central areas.
Trial runs of the shuttle services were carried out over the weekend before full implementation. Railway officials indicated that the trials were successful and that the services would continue during the period of infrastructure work at Egmore station.
Along with the shuttle services, selective curtailment of certain suburban trains has been implemented to manage track availability and operational constraints linked to station redevelopment. Commuters have been advised to check the revised timetable and allow additional travel time during this period.
Meanwhile, representatives from local transport bodies and former railway users' committee members expressed concern that the revised timetable was introduced without prior consultation with stakeholders. They suggested that major schedule changes should ideally be implemented during lean travel seasons, such as school holidays, to minimise inconvenience.
Some commuter representatives also recommended introducing more fast local services with limited stops between Tambaram and Chennai Beach to balance capacity and reduce travel time. There were also suggestions to review metro fare structures to encourage smoother modal shifts during the disruption period.
Southern Railway has stated that these temporary measures will remain in place while redevelopment work at Chennai Egmore station continues. The objective is to maintain suburban rail connectivity while infrastructure upgrades are carried out.
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