Suburban train services to be reduced on the Beach-Tambaram and Chengalpattu section for 45 days

In view of the redevelopment work which is to be carried out at the Egmore railway station, the Southern Railway will reduce the number of suburban train services operating on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu section for 45 days. 

Chennai Divisional Railway Manager Shailendra Singh said at a press meet on Tuesday that, to facilitate redevelopment work on platforms 10 and 11 of the suburban section, there has been a proposal to reduce the number of suburban train services from Beach.

As part of the operational arrangements, suburban trains will arrive on platforms 5 and 6 of the express lines. Platform 5 will see trains operating from Beach to Tambaram and Chengalpattu, while return trains will arrive on platform 6. The arrangement will be in place for 45 days, from February 20 to April 5.

A senior railway official said as per the new schedule of the suburban services, 160 train services will be operating up and down in place of 204 services at present. Of the 82 trains planned from Beach and Egmore railway stations towards Tambaram and Chengalpattu, 70 will be operated from Beach while the remaining 11 services from Egmore station.

Similarly, from Chengalpattu and Tambaram a total of 67 services would be operated till Beach with 11 services stopping at Egmore station.

Mr. Shailendra Singh said that the Chennai division has proposed maintaining train services at 15-minute intervals instead of the current eight-minute intervals during peak hours. He added that the work will be completed within the scheduled period. 

Meanwhile, the Southern Railway has requested the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to operate special services to help commuters who might be affected by the new schedule.

A senior official of the MTC said they are yet to draw up a plan on the special services; it will be communicated to the public, once it’s ready.