Chennai Metro Phase 2 commuters are seeking longer operating hours, more frequent trains and better crowd management on the newly opened Vadapalani–Poonamallee Bypass stretch, saying the current service is inadequate for office travel, student journeys and early-morning airport trips.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited extended the morning operating window by an hour on Friday, but trains on the Phase 2 stretch still run from 6am to 9pm. Commuters want the service to match the Phase 1 network, which operates from 5am to 11pm.
Students have also asked CMRL to reduce peak-hour intervals from the current 10 minutes to six minutes, the frequency available on Phase 1 routes. They said trains remain crowded throughout the day, leaving passengers with limited relief even when they wait for the next service.
“Even if we wait for the next train, it is often equally crowded. At Vadapalani, crowd management is poor. Passengers rush to board before others get off, creating chaos and stampede-like situations,” said R Vinod, a student from Porur. He called for queues and regulated boarding to prevent passengers from pushing into trains before other commuters have alighted.
Vadapalani is also the interchange point between the Phase 1 and Phase 2 services, and commuters said mismatched timings were adding to their waiting time. K Santosh, an office-goer from Iyyappanthangal, said synchronised schedules would make transfers more convenient.
“When we switch platforms, mismatched timings mean we have to wait longer. More frequent trains and better coordination would help,” he said.
The limited operating window is particularly affecting passengers travelling to the airport during early-morning hours. A Prabhakar, an information technology employee from Porur, said Phase 1’s early services were useful for air passengers and urged CMRL to consider similar timings for Phase 2.
“The Phase 1 network is particularly useful for passengers taking early-morning flights. CMRL must seriously consider extending service hours on Phase 2 as well,” he said.
A CMRL official said there had been no discussion so far on extending service hours or increasing train frequency on the stretch. The official said the non-operational hours were being used to complete civil works on the double-decker corridor and other unfinished works, while driverless trains were also being tested on the Vadapalani–Poonamallee Bypass section.
For now, commuters on the corridor continue to depend on a service with shorter hours and wider train intervals than Phase 1. Any decision on extending operations or increasing frequency will depend on CMRL’s assessment after the ongoing civil works and driverless train testing are completed.
