Sensational!! From TODAY, Chennais first air-conditioned EMU will be operating!!
Gone are the days when the residents belonging to Chennai travelled in the congested EMU`s in the blazing heat and humidity and found it very difficult!!
The Chennai residents can heave a huge sigh of relief in this scorching summer by travelling in the air-conditioned EMU. The latest news is that beginning from today 19th of April 2025 Chennai`s first air-conditioned EMU service will start operating between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu. On Saturday, the first a/c EMU would leave Chennai beach at 7am in the morning. This was according to an official release from the Southern Railways or SR.
It is learnt that the first a/c EMU would have as many as 15 stoppages in places like Chennai Fort, Chennai Park, Chennai Egmore, Mambalam, Gundy, St Thomas Mount, Thirisoolam, Tambaram, Perungalathur, Guduvancheri, Potheri Halt, Singaperumal Koil, Paranur and Chengalpattu. The EMU would reach Chengalpattu at 8:30 am.
In the same way, the maiden EMU service would leave Chengalpattu at 9am and reach Tambaram at 9:41 am and Chennai Beach at 10:30 am.
Except on Sundays, train number 49003/49004 and train number 49005/49006 between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu – Chennai Beach air-conditioned EMU services would be available in both the directions.
Train number 49005, the afternoon EMU service would leave Chennai Beach at 3:45 pm and would reach Chengalpattu at 5:25 pm. It must be noted that train number 49006 would leave Chengalpattu at 5:45pm and would reach Chennai beach at 7:15pm.
In the evening, the last a/c EMU of the day would be operated only between Chennai Beach and Tambaram in both the directions.
The train number 49001 or the last a/c EMU would leave Chennai Beach at 7:35 pm and would reach Tambaram at 8:30pm.
The release from SR mentioned that though the a/c EMU service would commence at 7am from the Chennai Beach during the regular operations, the first service of the air-conditioned EMU train( train no 49002) would start from Tambaram at 5:40am and would reach Chennai Beach at 6:45 am from 21st of April.
Important piece of information is that train number 49003/49004 and train no 49005/49006 Chennai Beach- Chengalpattu- Chennai beach would operate in the main railway line whereas train number 49001/49002 Tambaram- Chennai Beach- Tambaram would operate in the suburban lines. In Total, there would be 3 a/c MU services in each direction of the route.
The passengers travelling in the modern a/c MU would feel delighted and comfortable to travel in the train equipped with superb facilities like automatic doors, passenger information sysystems plus CCTV cameras, well marked entry/exit points etc.
It is noteworthy that the train fare in the air-conditioned MU would be similar to that of similar service available in Mumbai. It would be in accordance with the circular issued by the RB in April 2022. Minimum fare would be Rs 29 for the first 10km and this would be as per the circular from the RB. Point is that for journeys between 11km to 15km base fare would be Rs 37 and for a journey between 16km to 25km the fare would be Rs 56.
