Five months into being operational, Chennai Metro Rail’s phase I extension project between Washermenpet and Wimco Nagar now contributes to nearly 20% of the service’s total ridership. In the last two months, the average ridership of the Metro has been nearly 44,800 and of this, the 9-km stretch of the phase I extension project received nearly 9,000 commuters.
The number of Metro passengers has been on the rise after resuming services post lockdown. Initially, there were about 47,000 commuters, and this has risen to almost 65,000 now. On Monday, there were about 69,000 passengers. Of this, the north Chennai line had about 13,000-14,000.
According to the officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), in the north Chennai stretch, most passengers board from Wimco Nagar station and get off at Thirumangalam, High Court or Chennai Central stations. “This station now has about 2,200 passengers. We noticed a lot of government employees using the service and other working professionals whose offices are working,” an official said.
In the overall network, Chennai Central has the maximum number of commuters, with nearly 3,900, followed by Chennai Airport and High Court. Thirumangalam, which serves as an important station for those living in areas, including Padi, Retteri and Ambattur, receives an average of about 2,000 passengers a day.
Stations with poor footfalls are Arumbakkam, Nanganallur and Kilpauk, with an average of about 400 passengers a day. “The growth in ridership has been rather quick this time compared to the previous lockdown, and we hope to touch a lakh soon,” he added.
