For commuters bored with the usual tweets from the Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai, and Chennai Metro, Thursday turned out to be rather interesting as both organisations engaged in a friendly sparring match on Twitter.
In a rather unusual move, the official Twitter handle of the Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai, posted a message comparing the fares of the suburban train services and Metro that read: “Equally fast and most economical. Chennai Suburban Services'”. The post went viral with several loyal suburban and Metro commuters responding.
Chennai Metro Rail was quick to retort and posted: “Hi @DrmChennai Well we do provide round the clock security, AC coaches and well maintained state-of-the-art Metro Stations with on-time train schedules!”
Many enjoyed the exchange, with commuters complimenting the Metro for its facilities while others blaming it for the high fares. Similarly, one section came in solid support of the suburban rail system for being cheap and affordable to all, while others decried its erratic train schedule.
Rakesh Kumar, 35, a resident of Ennore and a private consultant, said he switched over to the Metro because he could reach his destination on time and comfortably.
Vignesh, another commuter, posted on Twitter: “@DrmChennai EMU trains provide connectivity till Tambaram, Chengalpattu. But sadly @cmrlofficial ends in the Airport. Always trusted and Chennai’s favorite is EMU @DrmChennai @GMSRailway”
By the end of the day, all seemed well and there was a truce.
Reacting to the exchange, Chennai Divisional Railway Manager P. Mahesh said the suburban train system and CMRL were complementing each other and providing enhanced connectivity to the commuters in the city. He added: “We are working together in many areas for better connectivity.”
