Southern Railway to Provide Laminated Covers for Season Tickets in Chennai

Southern Railway will provide laminated covers along with paper season tickets across Chennai to prevent printed travel details from fading, following complaints from suburban commuters whose passes became illegible within days.

Suburban passengers had reported that their paper season tickets rapidly deteriorated during regular daily use, creating issues when presenting them for inspection.

Southern Railway Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) I Senthil Kumar stated that the problem was caused by the thermal printing system used for issuing the tickets.

“The thermal printing is the reason why the letters fade. In order to solve the issue, we have come up with a decision to provide laminated covers along with the season tickets. This will make it easier for commuters to keep the tickets without worrying about the fading of the letters,” Senthil Kumar said.

Unlike conventional printers that use ink, thermal printers generate text and images by applying heat to a heat-sensitive coating on the ticket paper. These prints are known to degrade quickly when exposed to sunlight, environmental heat, moisture, friction, and prolonged handling.

The laminated cover is designed to function as a protective barrier to reduce abrasion and moisture-related damage. The protective sleeve is expected to keep crucial information—such as the commuter's name, permitted journey stations, and the validity period—clearly legible throughout the life of the season ticket.