Chennai, 4 October (H.S.): The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has achieved a new milestone, clocking its highest daily average ridership of the year in September. The network served a total of 1.01 crore passengers throughout the month, pushing the daily average to a record 3.38 lakh commuters. This new figure successfully edges past the previous best, which was recorded in July with an average of 3.34 lakh daily commuters, when the total monthly ridership stood at 1.03 crore. The growing patronage signifies an important trend in the city's commuting landscape.

The peak of this increasing public reliance was observed on September 4, which was recorded as the busiest day in recent months, with 3.97 lakh commuters utilizing the Metro service. CMRL data reveals a consistent and steady rise in patronage throughout 2025. Monthly figures started at 86.99 lakh in January, saw a slight dip in February, and then climbed to over 92 lakh in March and June. The network crossed the 1-crore monthly mark for the first time this year in July, followed by 99.09 lakh in August before settling at the new record in September.

In terms of the daily average, ridership has continuously climbed from 2.8 lakh in January to surpassing the 3 lakh mark by February and June, before stabilizing in the high 3.3 to 3.4 lakh range from July to September. Officials from the Chennai Metro Rail Limited provided a version on the development, stating that this continuous upward trajectory underscores Chennaiites' increasing shift to Metro for faster and more reliable commutes. This increasing utilization provides a positive update on the city's adoption of mass rapid transit.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary