Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail will eventually get encouragement in the footsteps that have been sought as commuters from North Chennai, fed up with repetitive delays and slow speed of suburban trains, turning to Metro services at Wimco Nagar.
The suburban train will often be postponed on the Gummidipoondi-Central route because they ran slowly at the last stretch of route after Wimco Nagar or stopped before Bridge Basin Station during rush hour in the morning.
Pressed for the time to report to work, many went down at Wimco Nagar and turned to the Metro train within a 5-minute walk.
While the suburban train takes 40 minutes to reach the center of Wimco Nagar, Metro covers a distance of 25 minutes.
There is a metro every 5 minutes on the route.
Regular commuters say that they see at least 100 people making a switch, even though it adds Rs 40 for their daily travel expenses.
Siagarajan, a frequent commuter, said, “I have to take the Metro train in the days though it is expensive.
Suburban trained a slowdown after Wimco Nagar.
They were mostly detained before Basin Bridge and the train sometimes took an hour to reach the center.
“He said there were not many people who made the previous switch.
Irked by the inconsistency of the suburban train, such passengers have continued and bought a metro train card for discount ticket rates.
“It costs almost Rs 1,000 more per month that suburban season tickets,” Thiagarajan added.
M Gunasecharan, another commuter, said the people who lived in Ennore came to the Wimco Nagar Metro station on two-wheeled vehicles and metro trains to reach the center because the suburb train was unreliable.
“Many used to turn to buses and metro in the center of the trip further have started doing it at Wimco Nagar himself.
Even when the train reaches the center on time, they are held at the outside of the station.
The suburb of the city is cheaper and more comfortable, but only if the train is right Time.
“A train official said that steps were taken to avoid delays.