CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail has recorded an increase in monthly patronage in the last eight months touching nearly 25 lakh passengers. According to figures available, patronage increased from 66.07 lakh in January to 85.89 lakh in August.
Going by the data, it looks like Chennai Metro, whose ridership was around two lakh passengers a day could soon touch three lakh. The ridership to break even was 4.33 lakh as per a detailed project report. In the last two months, ridership has been hovering over 80 lakh passengers a month.
The increase is due to better connectivity and traffic woes owing to metro rail works being undertaken under the second phase. With jam-packed roads and affordable luxury in travelling AC coaches, patronage is increasing.
According to CMRL data, August 11 recorded the highest passenger flow of 3.39 lakh. Meanwhile, a total of 31,05,583 passengers utilised the QR code ticketing system, 47,56,951 used the travel card ticketing system, 3,26,491 used the token system, 5,685 used the group ticketing system and 3,95,267 used the NCMC Singara Chennai Card in the month of August, a release said.
Meanwhile, the first tunnel construction of corridor 4 for a total length of 1.96 km began on Friday from Light House to Thirumayilai using the tunnel boring machine Flamingo, which was lowered in the south shaft–down line. This machine will mine at a maximum depth of 30 metres below ground starting from Light House station towards Kutchery Road. It will tentatively reach Thirumayilai station in a year and is expected to arrive at the retrieval shaft of Boat Club station in May 2026.
Corridor 4 is an east-west alignment for a length of 26.1 km connecting the beachfront from Light House station to Poonamallee depot and has nine underground stations and 18 elevated stations.
The underground part stretches over 10 km. It originates from Light House and passes through Chennai’s oldest areas like Mylapore, and Kutchery Road to new and upmarket areas like Alwarpet, Bharatidasan Road, Boat Club Rod, Panagal Park and Kodambakkam. A total of four tunnel boring machines will be utilised in corridor 4. T Archunan, director of projects, CMRL, launched the Flamingo in the presence of senior officials.