Chennai Metro Rail extends train timings

CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail Limited has extended its train timings and also increased peak hour services.
From Thursday, metro trains will operate from 5.30am to 9pm, and peak hours will be from 8am to 11am and from 5pm to 8pm. Trains will be available every 10 minutes during non-peak hours and every five-minutes during peak hours.
Earlier, when the services resumed after second Covid wave-induced lockdown, trains were operated from 6.30am to 9pm with peak hours from 9am to 11am and from 5pm to 7pm.
The extension of timings comes at a time when footfalls are increasing, and regular commuters are complaining about trains getting crowded during peak hours and they fear contracting the infection, despite government instruction to operate trains at 50% capacity. At present, an average 47,000 people are travelling every day in metro trains.
CMRL said it imposed a fine of Rs 200 on 34 passengers so far for not wearing masks properly at stations and in trains. It has deployed a squad to ensure all passengers wear masks. Crowd control/platform management staff have been deployed to ensure passengers maintain social distance at all times.
“All train and metro stations are being disinfected frequently,” it said.