The Southern Railway announced that 660 services will be operated on weekdays.
Chennai’s suburban services will run its full-fledged services, similar to those of pre-COVID times, from Monday, January 4. This means an additional 160 services in the city’s suburban and MRTS lines over and above the 500 services that are already operating on the tracks.
According to a statement from Southern Railway, the total number of local train services daily from Chennai will now be 660. Southern railway has been increasing the number of services in the local train network in a graded manner. Initially allowing only essential workers and staff members, the trains were opened for the general public during non-peak hours from December 23. There are no changes in this condition as per Southern Railway.
The general public can still utilise the full-fledged service of Chennai’s suburban services during the non-peak hours. The Southern Railway has slotted peak hours from 7 am to 9.30 am and 4.30 pm to 7 pm every day. The pattern for Sunday service will be announced later, Southern Railway said. During peak hours, the trains can be used only to those staff members providing essential services as permitted during the first phase of the resumption of services. In the second phase of resumption, women passengers were allowed to use the trains for the commute. Only in the third phase, the suburban services were opened to the general public.
The Southern Railway has also resumed long-distance train services in a graded manner. Several new trains are being introduced in the schedule and bookings are being open for reservation. Initially during the lockdown, while all long-distance trains were suspended, local trains were operated as ‘Workmen specials’ catering only to the essential workers. Those who wanted to use the workmen specials had to obtain a signed identity document from their workplace and their work identity cards to be allowed inside the railway premises.
Source: The News Minute