Commuters say railways did not give adequate publicity

For years, thousands of commuters visiting the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Chennai Central railway station through Wall Tax Road have been demanding ticket counters adjacent to its entry point.

On May 6, Southern Railway opened six unreserved ticket counters adjacent to platform no.1 and 2, along with an access point for easy entry and exit. As the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections was in place, many travellers were unaware of the facility. They continue to crowd the Moore Market Complex (MMC) suburban railway station for tickets.

Sridhar Joshi, member of the Indian Railway Fan Club (IRFCA), said ticket counters at the MMC and the newly-opened ticket counters on the Wall Tax Road side present contrasting pictures.

While the MMC suburban railway station is heavily crowded, counters near platform no.1 and 2 are free. Mr. Joshi blamed the Southern Railway for not giving adequate publicity for the newly-opened ticket counters. “If they put up display boards informing commuters about the ticket counters, the rush at MMC can be avoided,” he said.

‘Useful app’

Regular commuters also point out the need for the railways to promote the UTS app for easy booking of suburban and unreserved tickets.

At a recent meeting, the Chennai Divisional Railway Manager had requested the media to help promote the use of the UTS app.