Suburban Trains Beat Cars on Commute Times Across Chennai Routes, Study Finds

Commuters traveling from Chennai's suburbs, including along the Velachery–Tambaram corridor, reach their destinations faster using public transport than driving private cars, according to an analysis of journey times and costs across five major travel routes.

The study evaluated travel times for local trains, MTC buses, two-wheelers, and cars across round trips ranging from 34 kilometres to 80 kilometres during peak hours. The routes examined were Velachery–Tambaram, Tambaram–Guindy, Central–Tambaram, Tambaram–Koyambedu, and Kilambakkam–Central, with calculations factoring in door-to-door transit and annual costs over 264 working days.

Across all corridors analysed, driving a car was never the fastest mode of travel. Commuters using suburban rail or a combination of rail and bus saved between 10 and 50 minutes daily compared to those driving cars. For example, a traveler between Tambaram and Guindy completed the trip in 50 minutes by EMU train compared to 90 minutes by car. A journey between Kilambakkam and Central took 120 minutes by rail, while the same commute required nearly three hours by car.

Addressing the findings, retired Anna University professor K P Subramanian noted that while the data reflects the strengths of Chennai's public transit infrastructure, integration remains a challenge. He explained that the modes still operate as separate systems rather than a unified network, adding that the proportion of residents using public transport has dropped from 43 percent in 1995 to 23 percent in 2025.