Chennai Metro recorded 1,00,26,601 passenger trips in September, crossing the one-crore mark for the third consecutive month and becoming the first calendar year in which the system has exceeded that milestone four times, according to figures released by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
The September total was lower than the passenger numbers recorded in July and August, but the daily average remained broadly comparable. CMRL recorded 3,34,220 passenger trips per day in September, against 3,42,868 in July and 3,35,616 in August. The daily average in March, another month in which ridership crossed one crore, was 3,28,529.
September’s monthly total was also just above the eight-figure threshold. In comparison, CMRL recorded 1,04,04,098 passenger trips in August, 1,06,28,926 in July and 1,01,84,419 in March. The figures indicate that the metro continued to attract more than three lakh passenger trips on an average day during the month.
The highest single-day passenger footfall in September was recorded on September 11, when 3,93,580 passengers travelled by Metro. CMRL’s monthly figures count passenger trips rather than unique individual passengers, meaning a person using the system for multiple journeys may be represented more than once.
Card-based and digital ticketing accounted for a substantial share of the journeys. The National Common Mobility Card and Singara Chennai Card recorded the highest usage, with 51.95 lakh passenger journeys during the month. Single-journey paper QR tickets followed with 18.82 lakh journeys.
Among digital ticketing services, ONDC accounted for 12.33 lakh passenger journeys. WhatsApp ticketing through the number +91 83000 86000 was used for 4.34 lakh journeys, while the Chennai One App recorded 3.12 lakh journeys. Paytm accounted for 2.92 lakh journeys.
Other ticketing channels included PhonePe, with 2.14 lakh journeys; static QR tickets purchased at stations, with 1.99 lakh; online ticketing, with 1.46 lakh; and the Stored Value Pass available through the CMRL Mobile App, with 1.16 lakh journeys.
CMRL offers a 20 per cent discount on several card and digital ticketing options. The discount applies to the NCMC and Singara Chennai Card, digital QR tickets purchased through WhatsApp, Paytm and PhonePe, and the digital Stored Value Pass available through the CMRL Mobile App. It does not apply to single-journey paper QR tickets bought at ticket counters.
The September figures make 2026 the first year in which CMRL has recorded four months with more than one crore passenger trips. The metro’s next monthly ridership figures will show whether the system can maintain the recent pattern of sustained high passenger usage beyond the three consecutive months reported by the corporation.