Chennai’s government buses carried 30.17 lakh passengers a day in 2022-23, according to the Statistical Hand Book of Tamil Nadu. The suburban rail network carries about 8.6 lakh suburban commuters a day, Southern Railway said in June 2025, and Chennai Metro averaged 3,34,220 a day in September 2026, DT Next reported.
So the bus still carries roughly three times as many people as suburban trains and about nine times as many as the metro. The three figures are counted differently, though, and come from different years. Here is what each one measures.
Daily riders side by side
| Mode | Daily riders | Period | What is counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTC buses | 30.17 lakh | 2022-23 | Passengers carried, incl. free and concession passes |
| MTC buses | 2.8 million | 2022-23 | Average daily boardings (World Bank) |
| Suburban rail | About 8.6 lakh | June 2025 | Suburban commuters in Chennai Division |
| Chennai Metro | 3,34,220 | September 2026 | Average daily passenger trips |
Source: Statistical Hand Book of Tamil Nadu 2022-23; World Bank blog, March 2024; Southern Railway press release, 24 June 2025; DT Next, October 2026.
The bus figure counts each boarding, so a rider who changes buses is counted twice. The metro figure is trips through fare gates. The World Bank puts MTC’s 2022-23 average at 2.8 million boardings a day, a little below the handbook’s figure, and notes it was down from about 4 million in 2014-15.
How the metro has moved
Chennai Metro crossed one crore trips a month for three straight months in mid-2026. It carried 1,06,28,926 in July, 1,04,04,098 in August and 1,00,26,601 in September, when the busiest day, 11 September, saw 3,93,580 passengers.
Even that best day was about an eighth of the bus network’s average day in 2022-23. Metro Phase 2 stretches opening through 2026 should widen its reach. The People Near Transit report estimates metro access within walking distance will rise from 9.5% of the metropolitan population to 23% after Phase 2.
Ratio of MTC’s daily passengers in 2022-23 (30.17 lakh) to Chennai Metro’s daily average in September 2026 (3.34 lakh), from the state handbook and CMRL data reported by DT Next.
Share of all trips
The World Bank’s 2021 programme appraisal document for the Chennai City Partnership gives the city’s 2018 mode share. Buses carried 22% of all trips, walking 25% and cycling 3%. Personal two-wheelers took 30%. Bus and non-motorised travel together made up half of all trips, and the document notes that share had been falling.
Suburban rail and the MRTS do not get their own published daily ridership series. The Southern Railway figure comes from a press release on upgrading trains to nine cars, which said the change adds seats for about 4 lakh more passengers a day across the division.
Why the comparison matters
Buses go where rail does not. The People Near Transit report finds 56.5% of people in the metropolitan area live within a five-minute walk of a bus stop, against about 8% for suburban rail and 9.5% for the metro. Feeder buses that link the two, and common ticketing, decide how much of the bus ridership can shift to rail.
Metro after Phase 2
The Poonamallee to Vadapalani stretch opened in October 2026. Its effect will show in CMRL’s November and December figures.
A new MTC daily figure
The next handbook edition will update the 2022-23 bus count of 30.17 lakh a day.
Revised mobility plan
CUMTA’s comprehensive mobility plan targets a rise of more than 50% in public transport use; updated mode-share figures would track it.
Quick answers
How many people use MTC buses daily?
30.17 lakh passengers a day in 2022-23, including free and concession pass holders, according to the state handbook.
How many people use Chennai Metro daily?
An average of 3,34,220 trips a day in September 2026, with a peak of 3,93,580 on 11 September.
How many people use Chennai suburban trains?
About 8.6 lakh suburban commuters a day, Southern Railway said in June 2025.
Which mode carries the most people in Chennai?
Buses, by a wide margin: roughly three times suburban rail and about nine times the metro on these figures.
Information checked against official sources on 19 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Statistical Hand Book of Tamil Nadu 2022-23, Road and Transport (Department of Economics and Statistics)
- India: Transforming Chennai’s Bus Services (World Bank blog, March 2024)
- Chennai Metro records over 1 crore passenger trips in September (DT Next, October 2026)
- Chennai Division upgrades 9-car EMU rakes across suburban network (Southern Railway press release, 24 June 2025)
- Program Appraisal Document PAD4225, Chennai City Partnership (World Bank, 2021)
- People Near Transit Analysis Report, Chennai (ITDP India with MTC and CUMTA, May 2026)
- Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chennai 2023-2048, summary (CUMTA)
