Seeking help for train commuters

| S VENKATESHWARAN |

On February 25, 2026, Mr. V. Rama Rao from Nanganallur and
Mr. V. Subramani, directors of Traffic and Transportation,
Exnora, wrote to Minister for Railways, Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw,
requesting urgent help for Chennai train commuters.
In the letter, they explained that major redevelopment work will
be taking place at Chennai Egmore railway station from
February 20 to April 5, 2026. Due to foundation work for a new
roof at platforms 10 and 11, EMU train services on the Chennai
Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu section have been reduced
from 204 services to around 115 services. Some trains have
been diverted to platforms 5 and 6.
They stated that while redevelopment is important, it has
caused serious inconvenience to several lakhs of daily
commuters who depend on suburban trains to go to work and
return home.
With the city’s population crossing 1 crore, the existing bus
services are already insufficient. The state government alone
may not be able to handle the sudden increase in passenger
demand.
In their appeal, the Exnora directors requested the Railway
Ministry to immediately hire 500 buses on a contract basis,
including omnibuses, to help the affected commuters.

They suggested that a flat fare of Rs. 10 be charged for
passengers until the redevelopment work is completed at
Egmore.
They also urged the Minister to take a decision within 24 hours
on an emergency basis and issue necessary instructions to the
general manager of Southern Railway.