Route 18A at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Route Number | 18A (MTC Chennai) |
| From | Broadway (High Court / Pallavan Salai), Central Chennai |
| To | Tambaram (South Chennai railway junction) |
| Route Corridor | Via High Court, Central, Periyar Bridge (TVS/DMS), SHB, Saidapet, Concorde (Guindy / Race Course), Guindy RS, St Thomas Mount PO, Meenambakkam Old Airport, Thirusoolam National Airport (Chennai Airport), Pallavaram, Chromepet, T.B. Sanatorium |
| Distance | Approximately 26.4 kilometres |
| Total Stops | 16 named stops |
| Journey Time | Approximately 65 to 80 minutes |
| Daily Trips from Broadway | Approximately 9 to 10 trips per day (~57 min interval) |
| Daily Trips from Tambaram | Approximately 9 to 10 trips per day |
| First Bus from Broadway | 5:00 AM |
| Last Bus from Broadway | Approximately 9:30 PM |
| First Bus from Tambaram | 5:00 AM |
| Last Bus from Tambaram | Approximately 9:30 PM |
| Frequency | Approximately every 57 minutes — low frequency route |
| Operating Days | All 7 days including Sundays and public holidays |
| Bus Type | Ordinary service |
| AC Bus Available? | No AC buses on Route 18A |
| Starting Fare | Rs 6 (Ordinary minimum) |
| Why Route 18A matters | One of the few MTC routes that stops directly at Chennai International Airport (Thirusoolam), making it the cheapest public bus to and from the airport from Broadway and GST Road localities. It also serves the airport area’s Old Airport at Meenambakkam. |
All 16 Stops with Landmarks and Local Context
Route 18A is a historic GST Road corridor route, unique for its airport coverage. It passes directly through the Chennai Airport zone — both the Domestic/International terminal at Thirusoolam and the Old Airport complex at Meenambakkam. For budget travellers, this is the cheapest bus connection between Broadway and the airport.
| Zone 1: Broadway to Saidapet — City Core (Stops 1 to 8) |
| Stop 1 High Court / Broadway | |
| What it is | Origin terminus near the Madras High Court and Broadway bus hub |
| Key landmarks | Madras High Court (a magnificent heritage building on the seafront, est. 1862 — one of India’s largest courts), Broadway bus stand, Parrys Corner, RBI Chennai |
| Metro | Blue Line: Washermenpet, Broadway, to Airport and Koyambedu |
| Stop 2 Central | |
| What it is | Chennai Central RS stop |
| Key landmarks | Chennai Central — all mainline trains nationwide; Metro Blue Line Park Station |
| Rail | Mainline trains to Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, all of South India |
| Stop 3 Periyar Bridge (TVS / DMS area) | |
| What it is | Named after the Periyar EVR bridge on the Anna Salai corridor |
| Key landmarks | Periyar Bridge over Cooum River, TVS (Tamil Nadu Textbook Society) building, DMS (Directorate of Medical Services), Anna Salai (Mount Road) junction |
| Stop 4 T.V.S. | |
| What it is | Named after the Tamil Nadu Textbook Society / TVS building area |
| Key landmarks | State government textbook offices, Mount Road commercial zone, Anna Salai residential and commercial strip approaching Saidapet |
| Stop 5 D.M.S. | |
| What it is | Directorate of Medical Services headquarters stop on Anna Salai |
| Key landmarks | Directorate of Medical Services, Tamil Nadu Health Department offices, Teynampet area, approaching LIC Building junction |
| Stop 6 S.H.B. (State Housing Board) | |
| What it is | Named after the Tamil Nadu State Housing Board office on Anna Salai |
| Key landmarks | State Housing Board offices, Nandanam area, LIC Building junction approach |
| Metro | Nandanam Metro Station (Green Line) is nearby — connects to Koyambedu and Wimco Nagar |
| Stop 7 Saidapet | |
| What it is | Major transit junction at the entry to South Chennai |
| Key landmarks | Saidapet bus stand, Saidapet Railway Station (suburban trains — Chennai Beach to Tambaram line), DMS Hospital, Saidapet markets |
| Rail | Saidapet RS: suburban trains to Chennai Beach and Tambaram |
| Why it matters | One of the highest-boarding intermediate stops on Route 18A — South Chennai residents use this as a joining point for the airport |
| Stop 8 Concorde (Race Course / Raj Bhavan area) | |
| What it is | Landmark stop near the Madras Race Club and Raj Bhavan, close to the Race Course Road junction and the Park Hyatt |
| Key landmarks | Madras Race Club (active horse racing venue), Raj Bhavan (Tamil Nadu Governor’s official residence), Park Hyatt Chennai (five-star hotel), Race Course Road, approaching Guindy |
| Zone 2: Airport Corridor (Stops 9 to 12) |
| Stop 9 Guindy Railway Station | |
| What it is | Suburban rail interchange stop in Guindy — a key industrial and educational zone |
| Key landmarks | Guindy Railway Station (suburban trains on Chennai Beach-Tambaram line), Anna University main campus approach, Guindy National Park (India’s smallest national park within a city), Guindy Industrial Estate |
| Rail | Guindy RS: suburban trains to Chennai Beach, Saidapet, Tambaram, and Chromepet |
| Note | Anna University, one of India’s premier technical universities, is accessible from this stop |
| Stop 10 St Thomas Mount PO | |
| What it is | Post office stop near the historic St Thomas Mount hillock |
| Key landmarks | St Thomas Mount (a hillock where St Thomas the Apostle is believed to have been martyred in 72 AD, housing a 16th-century Portuguese church with a relic), Mount station approach, St Thomas Mount locality |
| Heritage | The church on the hillock is one of India’s oldest, belonging to Our Lady of Expectation — a major pilgrimage site for Catholics |
| Rail | St Thomas Mount Station on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram suburban line |
| Stop 11 Meenambakkam Old Airport | |
| What it is | Named after the historic Meenambakkam aerodrome — Chennai’s original civil airport until 1954 |
| Key landmarks | Old Meenambakkam airport complex (now used for IAF/government aviation purposes), approaching the current Chennai International Airport area |
| Historical note | Meenambakkam served as Chennai’s main civil airport from the 1940s until the new Thirusoolam terminal opened. The area still has aviation-related infrastructure |
| Stop 12 Thirusoolam National Airport (Chennai International Airport) | |
| What it is | The most significant stop on Route 18A — serving Chennai International Airport directly. This makes Route 18A the cheapest MTC bus connection to the airport from Broadway |
| About the airport | Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA) is Tamil Nadu’s only international gateway, handling approximately 22 to 25 million passengers annually. It serves both domestic and international flights |
| Key landmarks | Chennai Airport Domestic Terminal, International Terminal, Airport Metro Station (Blue Line — direct Metro to Central, Koyambedu, Airport) |
| Metro connection | Chennai Airport Metro Station is adjacent — provides high-speed connectivity to the city without road traffic |
| Tip | For airport travel, alight at Thirusoolam National Airport stop. If coming from the airport, board Route 18A here for the cheapest fare to Broadway, Saidapet, or Guindy. The bus fare to Broadway is approximately Rs 12 to Rs 15 — far cheaper than taxi or auto |
| Warning | Route 18A runs only every ~57 minutes. For airport travel with tight flight schedules, always check the next bus timing well in advance or choose the Metro/taxi for reliability |
| Zone 3: South Chennai — Pallavaram to Tambaram (Stops 13 to 16) |
| Stop 13 Pallavaram | |
| What it is | Major South Chennai suburb and transit hub |
| Key landmarks | Pallavaram Railway Station (suburban trains), Pallavaram bus stand, St Thomas Mount hillock (visible from here), local commercial area |
| Rail | Suburban trains to Chennai Beach and Tambaram |
| Stop 14 Chromepet | |
| What it is | Busy South Chennai suburb, historically associated with chrome tanning |
| Key landmarks | Chromepet Railway Station, Chromepet market, Hasthinapuram residential area approach |
| Rail | Suburban trains on Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu line |
| Stop 15 T.B. Sanatorium | |
| What it is | Named after the historic Tambaram Sanatorium government hospital complex |
| Key landmarks | Government Tambaram Sanatorium Hospital (major multi-speciality public hospital), Tambaram Sanatorium Railway Station |
| Medical | A major public hospital serving the entire Tambaram belt |
| Stop 16 Tambaram (Final Stop) | |
| What it is | Southern terminus — one of South Chennai’s most important railway junctions and transport hubs |
| Key landmarks | Tambaram Railway Station (major suburban junction on Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu line), Tambaram bus terminus, Vandalur Zoo access road |
| Rail | Suburban trains to Chennai Beach, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram; junction for the Arakkonam line via Pallavaram |
| Connections | Multiple MTC routes from Tambaram to Kelambakkam, Velachery, Saidapet, and ECR. Vandalur Zoo (Arignar Anna Zoological Park — India’s largest zoo) is 5 km away |
Bus Fare Chart for Route 18A
Route 18A operates as an ordinary service. Minimum fare Rs 6. All fares include cess of Rs 1.
| Stage | Ordinary (Rs) | Express (Rs) | Deluxe (Rs) | Night (Rs) |
| 1 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 12 |
| 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 14 |
| 4 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 16 |
| 5 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 18 |
| 6 | 11 | 16 | 22 | 20 |
| 7 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 22 |
| 8 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 24 |
| 9 | 14 | 20 | 28 | 26 |
| 10 | 15 | 22 | 30 | 28 |
| 11-12 (Full route) | 16 | 23 | 32 | 30 |
| Practical Fare Guide | Broadway to Saidapet (approx. 10 km): Rs 8 to Rs 11 Broadway to Guindy RS (approx. 14 km): Rs 10 to Rs 14 Broadway to Chennai Airport / Thirusoolam (approx. 18 km): Rs 11 to Rs 16 Broadway to Pallavaram (approx. 22 km): Rs 12 to Rs 17 Broadway to Tambaram (26.4 km, full route): Rs 13 to Rs 19 Monthly pass: Rs 2,000 unlimited MTC pass covers Route 18A |
Who Uses Route 18A
Budget Airport Travellers
Route 18A is the cheapest bus connection between Broadway and Chennai Airport. For travellers without tight schedules, the fare saving vs taxi or auto is substantial. The bus stop at Thirusoolam is directly at the airport approach road.
GST Road Corridor Commuters
Residents along Anna Salai and GST Road from Saidapet to Tambaram use Route 18A for access to Broadway and Central for government offices, rail travel, and the city centre.
Tambaram Residents to City Centre
Tambaram residents use Route 18A as a direct Broadway and Guindy connection via the GST Road corridor, avoiding the need for multiple transfers.
Key Traveller Tips
- Route 18A runs only every ~57 minutes. Check the schedule before heading to the airport — missing the bus means a 57-minute wait or hiring an auto.
- For airport travel, the Airport Metro Station (Blue Line) provides faster, more reliable service to Central and Koyambedu. Use Route 18A only if you are connecting from a stop along its corridor.
- At Broadway, Route 18A departs from a specific bay — check the board carefully. Many Broadway-Tambaram routes exist (18, 18B, 18C, etc.) with different corridors.
- The St Thomas Mount section (near the hillock) is a popular detour for first-time visitors — the hilltop church offers panoramic views of the airport runway approach.
- Always verify timings at mtcbus.tn.gov.in. Moovit app for real-time tracking.
Last updated: April 2026. MTC may change route timings, stops, and fares without notice. Always verify current information at mtcbus.tn.gov.in before travel.