- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chennai Metro Update: Chennai Metro is set to phase out its existing travel cards from August 1 and accept only the Singara Chennai National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
From August 1, the top-up services for the old Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) travel cards will be discontinued. The cards will not be accepted at any of the 41 stations. However, other ticketing mediums like QR codes will remain effective as usual.
What happens to balance in old cards?
The passengers who have a balance in their cards need not worry as the top-up services will be shut, but they will be able to use the old cards till it is exhausted.
Once the balance drops below Rs 50, the commuters must surrender their old CMRL cards at the metro station counter. The old card will be replaced with a new Singara Chennai Card without any cost. The deposit amount and the remaining balance will be transferred to the new card so as to ensure unrestricted access and continued use.
It must be noted that the NCMC-compliant Singara Chennai Card was first introduced on April 14, 2023. It has been used alongside the old CMRL travel cards since then.
But now after August 1, the final deadline ends and the older cards will disappear gradually, leaving NCMC as the only authentic cards for Chennai Metro.
The aim of introducing the NCMC card is to create a unified ticketing system that is compatible with multiple modes of transport and urban mobility services.
