Metro Rail Patronage declines shifts of outstation buses to Kilambakkam

09 Feb 2024 CW Team

After the relocation of outstation bus operations from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu to Kilambakkam, there has been a decline in metro rail patronage, which had previously shown a consistent increase post-Covid. In January 2024, monthly ridership witnessed a decrease of 6,000 passengers, totalling nearly 85 lakh footfalls, compared to December 2023.

Despite the decline, a CMRL official expressed that they have not observed a significant drop and do not anticipate further decreases in patronage. The shift in bus operations affected passengers within the city and some suburban areas who used to rely on the metro to reach CMBT quickly, avoiding congested 100-ft-wide roads during evening hours.

Many individuals arriving at Chennai airport from domestic and international destinations previously opted for metro trains to reach CMBT for buses heading to southern destinations such as Madurai, Tenkasi, and Tirunelveli. However, with the relocation to Kilambakkam, commuters find the journey more time-consuming and exhausting, especially without the prospect of a metro rail extension to Kilambakkam.

CMBT, once a crucial multimodal hub for metro rail, witnessed a change in footfalls on the Central Line in the evenings. The shift of outstation bus operations to Kilambakkam on January 1 affected approximately 1,000 government buses and 600 Omni buses during weekdays, reaching 1,000 during weekends.

Despite the recent dip, the metro rail currently averages 2.73 lakh daily passengers, doubling the pre-Covid-19 average of 1.16 lakh, reflecting its continued significance in the transportation network.

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..