Chennai Metro Rail releases post-COVID-19 ridership update

Since the launch of its metro train operations in June 2015, Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) has provided safe, efficient and reliable transportation to over 98 million passengers. Whilst recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 on public transport, the rail service has also reported a significant rise in ridership, with an increase of 13.5 million commuters in 2021 compared to the previous year.

In addition to providing infrastructure facilities, CMRL has developed several efficient and sustainable initiatives to increase patronage, including availability of ample parking space at metro stations and 12 minibus feeder services. These are presently available at select metro stations.

Furthermore, CMRL’s monumental increase in its ridership is evidenced in its data, which shows that:

• Between 29 June 2015 and 31 December 2018, 28 million passengers had travelled
• Between 1 January and 31 December 2019, 32.8 million passengers had travelled
• Between 1 January and 31 December 2020, 11.8 million passengers had travelled
• Between 1 January and 31 December 2021, 25.3 million passengers had travelled.

Due to several lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, metro train services were suspended from March 2020 to September 2020 and from May 2021 to June 2021 – resulting in the significantly low ridership in 2020 and lower than expected ridership in 2021.

CMRL has requested that its passengers to wear face coverings at all times in metro station premises and inside metro trains for their own safety, as well as the safety of staff, and maintain social distancing.