Chennai Metro Ridership Falls to 90.18 Lakh in April After Crossing 1 Crore in March

Chennai, May 03 : Chennai witnessed a dip in metro rail usage during April as passenger numbers fell from the record levels seen in March. According to data released by Chennai Metro Rail Limited, nearly 90.18 lakh commuters used metro services in April, compared to more than 1.01 crore passengers in March.
The decline comes after the metro network recorded an average daily ridership of over 3.22 lakh in March. In April, the daily average dropped closer to the 3 lakh mark.
Officials linked the fall in commuter traffic to school summer vacations and multiple extended holiday weekends during the month. Despite the slowdown, metro services continued to witness strong demand on selected days, especially ahead of holidays and major events.

Peak Footfall Recorded Ahead of Long Weekend
The highest single-day ridership in April was registered on April 2, when nearly 3.65 lakh passengers travelled across the metro network. Authorities said the spike was mainly due to commuters travelling before an extended holiday weekend.
Passenger numbers during January and February had also remained relatively strong. January recorded around 93.28 lakh commuters, while February saw approximately 96.4 lakh passengers using metro services.
Transport officials believe seasonal travel patterns played a major role in April’s decline rather than any operational issue.

Event-Based Promotions Aim to Boost Passenger Numbers
To increase public usage, Chennai Metro Rail Limited continued its event-linked promotional campaigns during April. These included free metro rides for spectators attending IPL 2026 cricket matches and city marathons.
Authorities said such initiatives encouraged more than 40,000 people to use metro trains during special events. However, the additional numbers contributed only a small share of the total monthly ridership.
Even with promotional campaigns, Chennai Metro’s present daily average of around 3.2 lakh passengers remains significantly below the original projected estimate of 7.75 lakh commuters per day.

Integrated Ticketing Continues to Dominate Usage
Digital and integrated ticketing platforms remained the preferred travel option among metro passengers in April.
More than 45 lakh commuters used the National Common Mobility Card for travel during the month. Other ticketing modes also saw steady adoption:

Around 17.83 lakh passengers travelled using paper QR tickets and tokens

Nearly 11.48 lakh commuters booked rides through ONDC-enabled applications such as Uber and Rapido

About 4.2 lakh passengers booked tickets through WhatsApp services

Approximately 1.84 lakh commuters used the Chennai One application

Over 25,000 travellers used dedicated CMRL travel cards

Officials said integrated ticketing systems are helping simplify urban transport access and encouraging more digital transactions among commuters.

Experts Highlight Last-Mile Connectivity Challenges
Urban transport experts have repeatedly stressed that Chennai Metro’s passenger growth remains constrained by inadequate last-mile connectivity and limited integration with suburban transport systems.
Former CMRL official R Ramanathan said the current Phase-1 network covers only selected parts of the city, reducing convenience for many commuters.
According to him, the situation is expected to improve significantly once Phase-2 metro corridors become operational. He noted that similar growth patterns were witnessed in the Delhi Metro network after expansion projects improved connectivity across the capital.
Transport planners believe future expansion, feeder services, and better integration with buses and suburban rail networks could substantially increase Chennai Metro’s daily ridership in the coming years.