CMBT, Alandur stations still the favourites for Metro users

Despite high expectations, airport stretch yet to see high patronage.

A metro train is ready to chug along from the Alandur Metro Rail station in Chennai. File photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Even after the opening of the new stretch of Chennai Metro connecting the airport, stations from the first stretch between CMBT and Alandur are the ones that see the highest number of users.

The new stretch extending up to the airport may have opened with high expectations but it still has not found as many takers as anticipated.

An RTI query by

The Hindu shows that even now CMBT and Alandur have the highest number of passengers travelling through them when compared to airport. After the second stretch from Little Mount to Chennai airport was opened, the average number of passengers in the first stretch from Koyambedu to Alandur has increased too.

‘Improvement likely soon’

Officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) said the number of passengers using the Chennai airport station too will go up in course of time. “Any system will take a while to pick up. Just like how the first stretch has now gained a lot passengers, this too will see an improvement soon,” an official said.

Recently, CMRL has started trials of direct service from Koyambedu to Chennai airport, but there aren’t too many takers, sources said. “CMBT and Alandur are seen as major hubs by passengers. In CMBT, of course, people travelling to and away from the city use the Chennai Metro extensively as it is convenient. It is likely that the traffic in Alandur may get transferred to St. Thomas Mount station which was recently opened. This is because, people can switch from Metro to suburban network and vice versa,” an official said.

Also, there was a spike in the number of users during May, August and September. This, sources said, happens when there is a series of holidays and people use it to take a joy ride.

Least patronage

The stations which has the least number of users is Meenambakkam and Nanganallur Road. Both stations do not have escalators owing to lack of space, causing a great deal of inconvenience for passengers.