Chennai Suburban Railway

Chennai Suburban Railway
Info
Owner	Southern Railways
Locale	Chennai (Madras), India
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	6
Website	http://erail.in/ChennaiSubUrbanTrains.htm
Operation
Began operation	1931
Technical
System length	896.57 km (non-redundant) (286 km true suburban and 610.5 km MEMU service)
Track gauge	Broad gauge

Coordinates: 13°04′59″N 80°16′27″E / 13.08319°N 80.27413°E / 13.08319; 80.27413

Chennai suburban railway is a commuter rail system in the Indian city of Chennai (Madras) operated by the Southern Railway. Chennai has a complex railway network. The system uses electrical multiple units (EMU) operating on alternating current (AC) drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system. The total system spans around 900 km of which only 286 km have dedicated dual tracks for suburban EMUs, the rest share tracks with other trains and are called mainline EMUs (MEMUs).

Lines

A railway map of the Chennai suburban train system including proposed new lines

Heatmap of the coverage of public transportation in Chennai City

North Line [174 km]

Main article: North Line, Chennai Suburban

Stations: Chennai Central MMC - Basin Bridge - Korukkupet - Tondiarpet - Tondiarpet Yard - Tiruvottiyur - Wimco Nagar - Kathivakkam - Ennore - Athipattu Pudhunagar - Athipattu - Nandiambakkam - Minjur - Anupambattu - Ponneri - Kavaraipettai - Gummidipoondi - Elavur - Arambakkam - Tada (AP) - Sullurpeta (AP) - Gudur(AP) - Nellore (AP) -

• Suburban service terminates at Sullurpeta (AP).
• Few trains operate between Chennai Beach and Sullurpeta via Royapuram and Washermanpet.

South Line [163 km]

Main article: South Line, Chennai Suburban

Stations: Chennai Beach - Chennai Fort - Chennai Park - Chennai Egmore - Chetpet - Nungambakkam - Kodambakkam - Mambalam - Saidapet - Guindy - St. Thomas Mount - Pazhavanthangal - Meenambakkam - Trisulam - Pallavaram - Chromepet - Tambaram Sanatorium - Tambaram - Perungalathur - Vandalur - Urapakkam - Guduvancheri - Potheri - Kattangulathur - Maraimalai Nagar Kamarajar - Singaperumal Koil - Paranur - Chengalpattu - Tirumani - Ottivakkam - Padalam - Karunguzhi - Madurantakam - Pakkam - Melmaruvathur - Acharapakkam - Tozhuppedu - Karasangal - Olakur - Panchalam - Tindivanam - Mailam - Perani - Vikravandi - Mundiyampakkam - Villupuram

• Suburban service terminates at Chengalpattu.
• A EMU service operates between Beach - Villupuram which goes along the suburban tracks till Chengalpattu and on the main line after that till Villupuram.

South West Line [122.71 km]

Main article: South West Line, Chennai Suburban

The Beach Chengalpattu section is parallel to but completely separate from the long-distance tracks of Indian Railways. The Trisulam station on this line is 100m from the Chennai International Airport terminal. This line first opened as an electrified suburban rail line in 1930.

Stations: Chennai Beach - Chennai Fort - Chennai Park - Chennai Egmore - Chetpet - Nungambakkam - Kodambakkam - Mambalam - Saidapet - Guindy - St. Thomas Mount - Pazhavanthangal - Meenambakkam - Trisulam - Pallavaram - Chromepet - Tambaram Sanatorium - Tambaram - Perungalathur - Vandalur - Urapakkam - Guduvancheri - Potheri - Kattangulathur - Maraimalai Nagar Kamarajar - Singaperumal Koil - Paranur - Chengalpattu - Villiambakkam - Palur - Palayasivaram - Walajabad - Nathapettai - Kanchipuram - Tirumalpur - Thakolam - Arakkonam

• Suburban electric trains on this route, terminate at Tirumalpur station.
• Tirumalpur - Arakkonam section being electrified.

West Line [213 km]

Main article: West Line, Chennai Suburban

Chennai Central MMC - Basin Bridge - Vyasarpadi Jeeva - Perambur - Perambur Carriage Works - Perambur Loco Works - Villivakkam - Korattur - Pattaravakkam - Ambattur - Tirumullaivayil - Annanur - Avadi - Hindu College - Pattabiram -Nemillicherry - Thirunindravur - Veppampattu - Sevvapet Road - Putlur - Tiruvallur - Egattur - Kadambattur - Mosur - Puliyamangalam - Arakkonam - Sholinghur - Walajah Road - Tiruvalam - Sevur - Katpadi - Gudiyattam - Ambur - Vinnamangalam - Vaniyambadi - Kettandapatti - Jolarpet

• Suburban service terminates at Arakkonam.
• MEMU service operates between Arakkonam and Jolarpet.

West North Line [151 km]

Main article: West North Line, Chennai Suburban

Services first began on this line in 1985.

Stations: Chennai Central MMC - Basin Bridge - Vyasarpadi Jeeva - Perambur - Perambur Carriage Works - Perambur Loco Works - Villivakkam - Korattur - Pattaravakkam - Ambattur - Tirumullaivayil - Annanur - Avadi - Hindu College - Pattabiram -Thirunindravur - Veppampattu - Sevvapet Road - Putlur - Tiruvallur - Egattur - Kadambattur - Senjipanambakkam - Manavur - Thiruvalangadu - Mosur - Puliyamangalam - Arakkonam - Tiruttani - Nagari - Puttur - Renigunta - Tirupati

• Suburban service terminate at Tiruttani.
• MEMU service terminate at Tirupati (AP).
• Few trains operate between Chennai Beach and Tiruttani. The section from Chennai Beach till Vyasarpadi covers a distance of 5.64 km via Royapuram and Washermanpet stations.

West South Line [290 km]

Main article: West South Line, Chennai Suburban

Chennai Beach - Royapuram - Washermanpet - Vyasarpadi Jeeva - Perambur - Perambur Carriage Works - Perambur Loco Works - Villivakkam - Korattur - Pattaravakkam - Ambattur - Tirumullaivayil - Annanur - Avadi - Hindu College - Pattabiram -Thirunindravur - Veppampattu - Sevvapet Road - Putlur - Tiruvallur - Egattur - Kadambattur - Senjipanambakkam - Manavur - Thiruvalangadu - Mosur - Puliyamangalam - Arakkonam - Katpadi - Vellore Cantt.

• Suburban service terminates at Arakkonam.
• MEMU service terminates at Vellore Cantonment station.
• The section from Vellore Cantonment till Villupuram is under gauge conversion and being electrified.

New Lines

The following new lines have been proposed in the Second Master Plan by CMDA as a long-term Urban transportation Scheme^[1]

• Avadi — Sriperumbudur — Kanchipuram
• Saidapet — Sriperumbudur — Kanchipuram (Partly Elevated)
• Sriperumbudur — Oragadam — Chengalpattu
• Kelambakkam — Vandalur
• St.Thomas Mount — Porur

New Lines proposed in CTS

The following new lines have been proposed in the Comprehensive Transportation Study of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.^[2] These lines will provide a circumferential travel network for the city.

• Perungudi — Mamallapuram
• Mamallapuram — Chengalpattu
• Chengalpattu — Tiruvallur
• Tiruvallur — Gummidipundi

Circular Rail Line [191 km]

Stations: Chennai Beach - Egmore - Tambaram - Chengalpattu - Thirumalpur - Takkolam - Arakkonam — Vyasarpadi — Washermanpet — Royapuram — Chennai Beach

• The circular rail line has been proposed in the CMDA SMP.^[1]

Gallery

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See also

• Transport in Chennai
• Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/Volume1_English_PDF/Vol1_Chapter04_Transport.pdf
2. ^ http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/28/stories/2010022850220100.htm

External links

• Suburban time table
• Suburban fare list
• Suburban train codes
• Suburban season ticket - fare list
• http://erail.in/ChennaiSubUrbanTrains.htm