Chennai Metro passengers face Rs 2,500 fine for playing loud music without headphones

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has announced a major five-fold increase in penalties for passengers who cause a nuisance inside Chennai Metro trains and station premises. Commuters caught playing loud music or videos without headphones, speaking loudly on phone calls, or using speakerphone will now face a fine of up to Rs 2,500.

The revised penalty was officially notified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 19. Previously, the fine for causing discomfort to fellow passengers was set at a much lower rate of Rs 500. Under the newly updated guidelines, authorized metro officials have also been empowered to remove violating passengers from the metro premises entirely.

According to an official statement released by CMRL, the crackdown specifically targets behaviors that disrupt the travel experience of other commuters. The offenses that will attract the Rs 2,500 penalty include using speaker mode during phone calls, having loud conversations on mobile phones, and playing any audio or video content aloud without using headphones.

The legal framework for the increased fine stems from a recent amendment under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026. This legislative change amended Section 59 of the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, which specifically governs offenses related to causing nuisance or discomfort to fellow passengers on the metro transit network.

With the new rules now in place, the metro operator has issued a clear advisory to all commuters traveling on the system. CMRL has strongly urged passengers to use headphones while listening to music or watching videos, avoid engaging in loud conversations, and keep their mobile phone's speaker mode switched off at all times while traveling on trains or waiting at stations.