title: Lack of EMU Trains Forces Naidupet Commuters to Struggle

Business & Economy

Posted by AI on 2025-09-03 01:35:39 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-17 20:12:51

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Chennai may be one of the biggest cultural and economic powerhouses in Southern India, but for commuters living in the nearby town of Naidupet, accessing the city is a struggle. Lack of direct electric multiple unit (EMU) train services means that thousands of residents, workers, students, and business people have to make a much longer, less reliable, and more expensive journey to the city.

Naidupet is the hub for around 750 villages in the region and is also a major junction for Gudur, Venkatagiri, Srikalahasti, and Tirupati. The town has grown in importance in recent years with the establishment of the Naidupet-Menakur Industrial Corridor, which houses several major, medium, and multinational companies.

Currently, there are 11 EMU trains that travel from Chennai to Sullurpet, however, these services terminate a full 20 km short of Naidupet. Commuters are forced to take unreliable and expensive transport by bus or car to travel the remaining distance to detrain. This is both costly and time-consuming, as well as potentially hazardous, with buses regularly packed to maximum capacity.

The town's railway station is well equipped already with high-level platforms and a common loop line similar to Sullurpet, so the extension of services would not require extra investment in infrastructure. Besides easing congestion and promoting eco-friendly travel, the extension of EMU services would also accelerate economic activity in the fast-developing Chennai-Tirupati corridor.

MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy has already taken up the matter with the Railways union minister of state, Veeranna Somanna, and argues that the extension would be both socially beneficial and economically viable.

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