Chennai: If you happen to enter Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Chennai Central Railway Station through Wall Tax Road, new ticket counters will now greet you. Surprisingly, the six latest unreserved ticket counters – built adjacent to platforms one and two – are hardly crowded unlike the counters on the other side of the building.
Senior Southern Railway officials told News Today that the ticket counters were declared opened 6 May and cater to passengers taking suburban trains from Central.
“As it was during election time, we had to follow the model code of conduct,” said an official. “Hence, we opened it without any announcement.”
This new facility has come as a major relief for commuters as it was a long-pending demand. “It took about three to five months to construct it,” said the official.
He pointed out that the ticket counter was even equipped with an access ramp for the differently-abled.
Passengers, however, continue to throng the ticket counters in the Moore Market Complex (MMC) suburban railway station for tickets.
“We continue to urge passengers to book tickets through apps,” said the official.
Southern Railway had launched QR codes-based ticketing system which are on display at various locations across railway stations in Chennai. Passengers can scan them to book tickets through the UTS mobile application.
Reports reveal that nearly 10 lakh passengers make use of MRTS and suburban trains every day. “UTS apps will help rail commuters avoid long queues,” the official added, “About 75 per cent of ticketing is now done online.”