A section of commuters has welcomed the introduction of air-conditioned (AC) suburban train services on the western section, covering Tiruvallur and Arakkonam, on Friday after a long wait. However, many of them expressed concern over the high fares and the omission of a few important railway stations from the service.The Chennai Division of Southern Railway launched its first AC suburban train services on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu section in April last year.

Since then, commuters on the western section had been requesting similar services.Finally, Southern Railway has launched AC suburban train services from Moore Market Complex (MMC) to Tiruvallur and Arakkonam with the second AC rake received from the Integral Coach Factory.The main grievance among commuters is that the AC suburban trains skip Avadi, Pattabiram, and Korattur stations.Commuters ask why the Avadi Railway Station was excluded from the regular service to Arakkonam, especially when the first AC suburban service was operated from the Avadi depot.Social activist T. Sadagopan said Avadi and Pattabiram were part of the Avadi Corporation and that the area was home to the second Tidel Park.

Moreover, the Avadi and Pattabiram Railway Stations had emerged as important transport hubs. Hence, excluding these stations from the AC suburban services operating between MMC and Arakkonam was a major oversight, he said.Similar to commuters on the Tambaram-Chengalpattu section, passengers on the western section too have expressed concern over the high ticket prices for the AC suburban services.

They said fares should be kept affordable to attract more commuters. K.

Bhaskar, secretary of the Tiruvallur Railway Passengers’ Association, who travelled on the AC train after its launch on Friday, said the fares were higher than those indicated in the fare list issued by the Railway Board in 2022.According to him, a single journey from MMC to Arakkonam was priced at ₹104 in the Railway Board’s fare list, whereas Southern Railway has fixed the fare at ₹230. He urged Southern Railway to reduce the fares to improve passenger patronage.Meanwhile, a section of commuters holding first-class season tickets has urged Southern Railway to allow them to travel on AC suburban trains on the payment of an additional charge.

Published - October 25, 2026 07:38 pm IST