Chennai Metro Rail passengers fume over poor AC system inside stations, trains

CHENNAI: While the summer heat in Chennai city is soaring and the public is struggling to cope with the rise in temperatures, the passengers of Chennai Metro Rail are claiming that the air conditioning system inside the Metro stations and even inside the trains are not functioning to the optimum.

The passengers have urged the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to address the concern as the heat wave in the city is expected to continue.

Speaking to DT Next, Archana, a regular Metro passenger said, “I have been travelling by Metro Rail since 2017, and especially during summer that too in Chennai heat, commuting becomes easy in the particular transit compared to local trains and buses.”

“However, I have been noticing this for the past few months that the air-conditioning both at the Metro station platform and inside the train is very minimal,”added Archana.

Additionally, another commuter Harsh goes on to add that during heavy passenger crowds inside the trains, low air-conditioning and closed doors could cause passengers nauseous.

“During morning peak hours, the footfall is quite high at most stations. The temperature is also high during that time. But, I noticed on most days, that the cooling inside the Metro stations and trains is not sufficient enough,” added Harsh.

He went on to question if CMRL is cost-cutting by reducing the temperature. Revathy, another passenger questioned, “I pay an additional price for a comfortable commute on Metro Rail. But, recently, the experience has been the opposite. CMRL should ensure the air-conditioning during service hours, despite the crowd.”

There has been no response from the officials despite contacting.