Metro rail to soon scrap ticket vending machines across 41 stns

Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) will soon scrap all ticket vending machines across its 41 stations, a move that may increase crowding at counters in busy hubs.

Every station has three to four vending machines that once issued tokens, paper tickets, and recharged smartcards. But after phasing out tokens earlier and smartcards this year, CMRL left them idle and is now forcing passengers towards online and app-based ticketing. The decision will force passengers who need single-ride tickets to wait in long, snaking queues at counters. The brunt will be felt at peak-hour choke points such as Chennai Central, where long-distance train travellers rush to the metro, airport, where flyers walk in, and Alandur, the busiest interchange.