Two years after the launch of the first service of Chennai Metro Rail, there are barely any takers for the special class coaches on the trains.
The fares for the special class coaches, equipped with red cushions, are twice that of the normal class.
The fares range from ₹10-₹60 for the normal class and ₹20- ₹120 for the special class.
‘Trains not crowded’
Commuters say there is no need to use the special class as the regular coaches themselves are comfortable as the trains are not crowded.
Nirmala Rajagopal, a 30-year-old resident of Anna Nagar, says that while travelling from Anna Nagar Tower station to Little Mount, she pays ₹45 for a regular ticket but always gets a seat. “Where is the need to pay double that price for nothing? I have no clue why they came up this idea,” she adds.
No other Metro Rail system in the country has a special class coach on their trains.
Even Delhi, which recorded a cumulative ridership of one billion as of March this year, does not have a special class.
Chennai Metro Rail has only about 12,000-14,000 people travelling through its three stretches on a daily basis.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials say they do not have a proper estimate of how many use the special class, but admit that not many do.
For the special class, the tokens are in red and the smart cards are gold in colour (as opposed to the blue tokens and regular smart cards for the normal class).
“We carry out surprise checks to see if people buy regular tickets and travel by special class. So far, we haven’t found anyone doing it,” an official says.
Sources with the Chennai Metro Rail project say the special class coaches were introduced anticipating crowds in the future.
