Tiruvallur to Chennai Central Commuters Beat Daily Stress With Train Singing Group

An informal group of daily train commuters, known to some as "Rail Ragam," is turning the third compartment of the 7:30 a.m. suburban electric train from Tiruvallur to Chennai Central into a live singing forum to help passengers beat commuting stress. This decades-old musical tradition, which is also mirrored by a long-lasting singing group on the Chennai Beach to Tambaram suburban line, features passengers singing Tamil and Hindi songs together to find relaxation between work deadlines and home chores.

The group performs twice daily, during the 7:30 a.m. commute to Chennai Central and again on the 6:25 p.m. return journey to Tiruvallur. This informal "commuters choir" consists of untrained singers from various professional backgrounds, including staff from the Government Hospital, Secretariat, LIC, Harbour, private enterprises, and legal professionals associated with the High Court.

The group has operated for nearly 40 years without any formal membership, allowing commuters to join in and leave freely. I. Jayaseelan, an advocate and key member of the group, described the gathering as a sudden phenomenon with no single founder. However, P. Venugopal, who joined the group in 2003 and plays the banjo, noted that a railway employee originally started the group, which was then kept alive by generations of commuters.

To create their music on the move, members bring instruments like banjos and rhythm pads, and sometimes even drum on the metal sides of the train compartment. Jayaseelan, who also runs a music troupe called "Inisaai Saral," noted that the singers are accustomed to performing in these challenging, crowded settings.

While the music builds camaraderie among many passengers, it occasionally causes friction. Jayaseelan acknowledged that singers sometimes get too loud for non-participating commuters, leading to past instances where railway police have had to lead a singer away, though no arrests have been made.

Despite occasional disruptions, the singing remains a beloved fixture of the daily commute. Some listeners are moved to offer small gifts of food, while others occasionally overshoot their railway stations because they are lost in the music.