Chennai Metro has decided to run direct services between Chennai Central and the airport from Thursday and extend the timings till 9 p.m. On Wednesday, the service between Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount too was resumed.
Initially, Metro had decided not to operate direct trains from Chennai Central and Chennai airport. But as a lot of passengers took the Metro to reach the airport, it decided to start operations on that route immediately. The extension of services till 9 p.m. is expected to help passengers boarding international flights.
Patronage improves
In the last two days of operations, about 5,000 passengers took the service on the first day and another 6,000 on Tuesday.
The resumption of more services on Thursday is expected to increase the number of passengers travelling by the Metro, sources said.
So far, the services have been smooth and passengers have been maintaining physical distancing inside trains and stations, which may encourage more commuters to use the network. This system used to handle 1.15 lakh passengers a day but it may take several months to see that kind of traffic as most offices are allowing employees to work from home.
S. Pramila, a resident of Anna Nagar who works at Chennai airport, said she had to commute on her two-wheeler every day. “Yesterday, I saw a father and a child on a vehicle next to mine; they weren’t even wearing masks. I hate riding on the road. I can’t wait to get back to using Metro. Before COVID-19, I was taking direct trains to the airport every day; now, I’m relieved and glad they have restored services,” she added.
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