AC suburban train services to begin in Chennai on April 19

CHENNAI: After delay, Chennai’s first AC suburban train will start its service on April 19 with limited stops and a split schedule.

A day after Times of India reported on the delay in launching Chennai’s first air-conditioned EMU rake, Southern Railway rushed into action following a Railway Board discussion and has now confirmed that the train will begin operations on Saturday, April 19.

There will be three up-and-down trips daily -- two full-length runs between Chennai Beach and Chengalpet and one shorter run between Chennai Beach and Tambaram. These services will not operate throughout the day. Instead, the AC rake will run in two sessions—morning and evening—with a nearly five-hour break in between for routine maintenance.

Southern Railway officials said the maintenance window is essential, as only one AC rake is currently available, and it will be serviced at Tambaram.

Train Nos 49003/49004 will depart Chennai Beach at 7am and Chengalpet at 9am. In the evening, Train Nos 49005/49006 will leave Chennai Beach at 3.45pm and Chengalpet at 5.45pm.

An additional run—Train Nos 49001/49002—will operate between Chennai Beach and Tambaram at night and early morning, with the up service starting from Chennai Beach at 7.35pm from April 19 and the down trip from Tambaram at 5.45am from April 21.

Unlike regular suburban trains, the new AC service will skip several stops between Chennai Beach and Chengalpet. It will halt at only 12 major stations, including Mambalam, Guindy, St Thomas Mount, Tambaram, Perungalathur, Guduvancheri, Potheri, and Paranur. Stations like Saidapet and Chromepet, typically busy during peak hours, will be skipped—citing time constraints and the delay caused by the operation of automatic doors.

However, when the train runs only between Tambaram and Chennai Beach, it will stop at all intermediate stations. Fares are expected to range between Rs 30 and Rs 50, roughly matching Chennai Metro rates.

Officials said the rake, fitted with automatic doors, CCTV cameras, and information systems, is intended to offer a premium alternative for suburban passengers, especially officegoers, battling Chennai’s heat.