Chennai, Oct 3:
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) recorded 1,00,26,601 passenger trips in September 2026, crossing the one-crore mark for the third consecutive month and the fourth time in the calendar year.
September also marked the first time that the Chennai Metro network recorded more than one crore passenger trips in four separate months in a single calendar year, reflecting continued reliance on metro services for daily commuting.
The metro recorded 1,01,84,419 passenger trips in March, with an average daily ridership of 3,28,529. Ridership increased to 1,06,28,926 in July, averaging 3,42,868 passengers a day, while August recorded 1,04,04,098 trips, with an average daily ridership of 3,35,616.
In September, the average daily ridership stood at 3,34,220. The highest single-day passenger footfall during the month was recorded on September 11, when 3,93,580 passengers travelled on the metro network.
The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), or Singara Chennai Card, emerged as the most-used ticketing option in September, accounting for 51.95 lakh passenger journeys. Single-journey paper QR tickets purchased at station counters accounted for another 18.82 lakh journeys.
Among the other digital ticketing options, ONDC accounted for 12.33 lakh journeys, followed by WhatsApp ticketing with 4.34 lakh, Chennai One App with 3.12 lakh, Paytm with 2.92 lakh, PhonePe with 2.14 lakh, static QR tickets at stations with 1.99 lakh, online ticketing with 1.46 lakh, and the CMRL Mobile App Stored Value Pass (SVP) with 1.16 lakh journeys.
CMRL provides a 20% discount on eligible ticketing services, including the NCMC Singara Chennai Card and digital QR tickets purchased through WhatsApp, Paytm and PhonePe. The discount is also available for the digital Stored Value Pass through the CMRL Mobile App.
However, single-journey paper QR tickets purchased at ticket counters are not eligible for the 20% discount.
Although September’s total ridership was lower than the figures recorded in July and August, the metro continued to maintain an average daily ridership above 3.3 lakh. The repeated crossing of the one-crore monthly passenger mark, along with the substantial use of card-based and digital ticketing, indicates the growing role of Chennai Metro in the city’s daily public transport network.