Route 37G at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Route Number | 37G (MTC Chennai) |
| From | Vallalar Nagar (North Chennai, near Tondiarpet) |
| To | Iyappanthangal (West Chennai, near Porur) |
| Route Corridor | Via Regal, Choolai PO, Lady MCTM School / Millers Road, KMC, Sterling Road / Meteorological Dept, Corporation School / Office, Veterinary Hospital, Trustpuram, Vadapalani BS, Virugambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Porur |
| Distance | Approximately 22.4 kilometres |
| Total Stops | 14 named stops |
| Journey Time | Approximately 60 to 75 minutes |
| Daily Trips | Approximately 170 trips per day (every 5 minutes) — extremely high frequency |
| First Bus | 5:00 AM |
| Last Bus | Approximately 10:00 PM |
| Frequency | Every 5 minutes — one of Chennai’s busiest cross-city routes |
| Operating Days | All 7 days including Sundays and public holidays |
| Bus Type | Ordinary service |
| Starting Fare | Rs 6 (Ordinary minimum) |
| Why Route 37G matters | One of Chennai’s most important cross-city routes, running from the north-east (Vallalar Nagar / Tondiarpet belt) across the entire city through KMC, Sterling Road, Vadapalani, Virugambakkam, and Porur to Iyappanthangal in the west. It is essentially a city spine connecting communities that would otherwise require multiple transfers |
All 14 Stops with Landmarks and Local Context
Route 37G is one of Chennai’s definitive cross-city arteries. Starting at Vallalar Nagar in the north (near the Tondiarpet-Wimco industrial belt), it crosses through the city’s educational and medical spine (KMC, Sterling Road) before entering the western residential and commercial belt (Vadapalani, Virugambakkam, Porur) to reach the IT-zone frontier at Iyappanthangal.
| Zone 1: Vallalar Nagar to KMC — North Chennai to Medical Belt (Stops 1 to 5) |
| Stop 1 Vallalar Nagar | |
| What it is | Origin terminus in North Chennai, named after the saint-poet Ramalinga Adigalar (Vallalar) |
| Key landmarks | Vallalar Nagar bus terminus, Tondiarpet residential area, approaching Regal on Anna Salai |
| About Vallalar Nagar | Located in the Tondiarpet-Perambur belt of North Chennai, an area with significant working-class and lower-middle-class residential communities and proximity to the Port Trust, Ennore, and Wimco industrial zones |
| Connections | Multiple routes from Vallalar Nagar to Broadway, Tondiarpet, Madhavaram, and Ennore |
| Stop 2 Regal | |
| What it is | Named after the iconic Regal Cinema — once one of Chennai’s premier cinemas on Anna Salai |
| Key landmarks | Former Regal Cinema site, Anna Salai (Mount Road) junction, Choolai area approach, Gemini Flyover nearby |
| Heritage | The Regal Cinema was a landmark in Chennai’s cinema culture for decades, a significant stop on the Anna Salai cross-city corridor |
| Stop 3 Choolai PO (Post Office) | |
| What it is | Named after the Choolai Post Office — a North Chennai residential locality |
| Key landmarks | Choolai Post Office, Choolai residential area (one of Chennai’s older working-class neighbourhoods), Purasaiwakkam High Road approach |
| Stop 4 Lady MCTM School / Millers Road | |
| What it is | Educational stop on Millers Road, a significant North Chennai road |
| Key landmarks | Lady MCTM (Lady Munsiff Court Thirumathi) School, Millers Road (a key road connecting Choolai to Purasaiwakkam), residential and school zone |
| Education | Lady MCTM is a government school that has served this community for generations — significant student ridership on this route |
| Stop 5 KMC (Kilpauk Medical College) | |
| What it is | One of the most important stops on Route 37G — Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital |
| Key landmarks | Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMC) — a premier government teaching hospital covering almost all medical specialities, Institute of Mental Health (Kilpauk — est. 1794, one of Asia’s oldest psychiatric hospitals) |
| Medical significance | KMC is a critical public hospital generating very high ridership from all residential areas this route serves. The combination of hospital staff, patients, and students makes this a consistently high-demand stop |
| Heritage note | The Institute of Mental Health at Kilpauk, established in 1794, is one of the world’s oldest psychiatric institutions and a significant heritage building |
| Zone 2: Sterling Road to Vadapalani — City Spine (Stops 6 to 10) |
| Stop 6 Sterling Road / Meteorological Department | |
| What it is | Key junction named after the India Meteorological Department regional centre |
| Key landmarks | India Meteorological Department Chennai, Sterling Road residential zone, multiple hospitals and educational institutions in the area |
| Stop 7 Corporation School / Office | |
| What it is | Named after the Greater Chennai Corporation school and offices in the Kodambakkam High Road approach |
| Key landmarks | GCC (Greater Chennai Corporation) school and local offices, Kodambakkam High Road junction, commercial zone approaching Vadapalani |
| Stop 8 Veterinary Hospital | |
| What it is | Named after the TANUVAS Veterinary Hospital — same stop as on Route 17D |
| Key landmarks | TANUVAS Veterinary Hospital campus, Kilpauk residential area, Kodambakkam High Road approach |
| Stop 9 Trustpuram | |
| What it is | Residential stop in the Kodambakkam–Vadapalani corridor |
| Key landmarks | Trustpuram residential colony, approaching Vadapalani junction via Kodambakkam High Road |
| Stop 10 Vadapalani BS (Bus Stand) | |
| What it is | Major West Chennai bus terminus — one of the highest-boarding intermediate stops on Route 37G |
| Key landmarks | Vadapalani Bus Stand, Vadapalani Murugan Temple (a major Chennai Murugan temple with over 7,000 marriages annually in its grounds), Vadapalani Metro Station (Green Line) |
| Metro | Green Line: to CMBT Koyambedu, Anna Nagar, Thirumangalam |
| Temple significance | The Vadapalani Murugan Temple is one of Chennai’s most important Murugan shrines, drawing tens of thousands of devotees. Route 37G provides direct access from both North Chennai (Vallalar Nagar / Regal) and West Chennai (Porur / Iyappanthangal) to the temple |
| Connections | Vadapalani BS: major interchange for routes to Guindy, T. Nagar, Ashok Nagar, and CMBT |
| Zone 3: Virugambakkam to Iyappanthangal — West Chennai (Stops 11 to 14) |
| Stop 11 Virugambakkam | |
| What it is | Residential suburb between Vadapalani and Valasaravakkam |
| Key landmarks | Virugambakkam main area, Chinmaya Nagar residential zone, Valasaravakkam approach road |
| Real estate | Virugambakkam is a popular mid-range residential suburb with good connectivity to Vadapalani Metro and Koyambedu |
| Stop 12 Valasaravakkam | |
| What it is | Mid-western suburb on the Porur approach |
| Key landmarks | Valasaravakkam main junction, local commercial area, Kumaraswamy Temple, approaching Porur |
| Note | Valasaravakkam has seen rapid residential development and is popular with professionals working in the Porur-Iyappanthangal IT corridor |
| Stop 13 Porur | |
| What it is | Major West Chennai junction town and IT-zone gateway |
| Key landmarks | Porur junction (one of Chennai’s busiest western junctions), Porur Lake (a large water body, popular walking destination), DLF IT Park Porur, Ambit IT Park, One Indiabulls Park Porur, Apollo Hospitals Greams Road approach road |
| IT note | Porur is the western gateway to Chennai’s IT belt. DLF IT Park and other tech parks in Porur employ thousands. Route 37G provides direct connectivity from North Chennai (Vallalar Nagar) to the Porur IT zone — a significant employee commute function |
| Connections | Porur junction: buses to Poonamallee, Koyambedu, KK Nagar, Iyyapanthangal, and Mount Poonamallee Road |
| Stop 14 Iyappanthangal (Final Stop) | |
| What it is | The western terminus, at the boundary of Chennai city and the Sriperumbudur industrial corridor approach |
| About Iyappanthangal | Iyappanthangal is a western suburb marking the transition from Chennai’s built-up area to the Poonamallee-Sriperumbudur belt. It has seen rapid residential and commercial growth as the IT-industrial corridor expands westward |
| Key landmarks | Iyappanthangal Bus Terminus / Depot, Iyyapanthangal Hanuman Temple, approaching Poonamallee and Kumananchavadi |
| Connections | From Iyappanthangal: buses to Poonamallee, Porur, KK Nagar; approaching Sriperumbudur for Hyundai and other factories |
Bus Fare Chart for Route 37G
Route 37G 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 | Vallalar Nagar to KMC (approx. 7 km): Rs 8 to Rs 11 Vallalar Nagar to Vadapalani (approx. 13 km): Rs 9 to Rs 13 Vallalar Nagar to Porur (approx. 19 km): Rs 11 to Rs 16 Vallalar Nagar to Iyappanthangal (22.4 km, full route): Rs 12 to Rs 17 Monthly pass: Rs 2,000 unlimited MTC pass covers Route 37G |
Who Uses Route 37G
Cross-city Commuters — North to West Chennai
Route 37G is functionally a city spine. IT professionals working in Porur and Iyappanthangal who live in North Chennai (Tondiarpet, Perambur, Choolai, Purasaiwakkam) use this route to avoid multiple transfers — a journey that would otherwise require going through Broadway and taking a second bus.
Vadapalani Temple Pilgrims from North Chennai
The Vadapalani Murugan Temple draws enormous crowds. Pilgrims from Vallalar Nagar, Tondiarpet, and the North Chennai belt use Route 37G for direct access to Vadapalani, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays.
KMC Hospital Patients
Route 37G is one of the primary links to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital from both North Chennai (Vallalar Nagar) and West Chennai (Porur, Iyappanthangal). Medical patients and their attendants rely heavily on this route.
Students
The corridor serves multiple schools and colleges. KMC medical students, Lady MCTM school students, and engineering college students in the Porur belt all generate significant ridership.
Traveller Tips
- Route 37G’s 5-minute frequency makes it one of MTC’s most reliable cross-city routes. It effectively functions as a transit spine for the North-to-West diagonal.
- At Vadapalani, you can transfer to the Metro Green Line for faster travel to CMBT, Anna Nagar, or Thirumangalam.
- For Porur IT Park employees, Route 37G is the most direct bus from North Chennai. However, during peak hours (7-9 AM and 5-8 PM), the Vadapalani to Porur stretch can be congested — budget extra time.
- Verify current 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.