Commuters Form Informal Singing Groups on Tambaram and Tiruvallur Suburban Trains

Daily commuters on Chennai's suburban rail network, including the Chennai Beach to Tambaram line, are turning their daily travel into live musical sessions to beat transit blues. On the Tiruvallur to Chennai Central route, an informal "commuters choir" has been performing live songs inside train compartments during the morning and evening rush hours for nearly 40 years.

The musical sessions take place inside the third compartment from the motorman’s cab on the 7:30 a.m. local train from Tiruvallur to Chennai Central. The group, which some members call "Rail Ragam," gathers again for an encore performance on the 6:25 p.m. return train from Chennai Central.

The group is made up of untrained singers from various walks of life. Members include staff from the Government Hospital, Secretariat, LIC, Harbour, law professionals associated with the High Court, and workers from private enterprises. There is no formal membership, and commuters join and leave the group freely.

I. Jayaseelan, an advocate and key member of the group, explained that the choir has no clear origin story and was born suddenly. Another member, P. Venugopal, who joined in 2003, plays the banjo to accompany the singers. Other members bring rhythm pads, while some use the metal sides of the train compartment as a surface for drumming.

The daily playlist consists mostly of Tamil songs, with occasional Hindi numbers. The performances offer a sense of relaxation and camaraderie for weary commuters caught between work deadlines and household chores. Some regular listeners are known to offer small gifts of food to the singers, while others have occasionally missed their destinations after getting lost in the music.

However, the daily concerts are not welcomed by everyone in the shared space of the train. Some commuters prefer quiet, and singers have occasionally been led away by the railway police after getting too loud.

Despite occasional disruptions, members say the tradition remains strong. According to Jayaseelan, the phenomenon is widespread, with similar long-lasting singing groups active on the Chennai Beach to Tambaram line and the Chennai Beach to Tiruvallur line.