Crooners beat the commuting blues on a long suburban line from Chennai to Tiruvallur
Commuters on a suburban train line between Chennai and Tiruvallur have formed an informal choir that sings during their daily travels. The group, known as 'Rail Ragam' to some, provides a sense of community and relaxation amidst the stress of daily work commutes.
Why it matters
It illustrates how urban commuters create organic social structures to cope with the monotony and stress of public transportation.
On the 7.30 a.m. local from Tiruvallur to Chennai Central, compartment three (third from the motorman’s cab) doubles as a jukebox. A one-off model, this jukebox cranks out live singing performances. First-timers are usually gobsmacked to hear vocal notes drowning the whir and whine of the suburban electric train and rising in cadence over the occasional clatter of its wheels. No professional singers in sight; nor trained musicians. And the singing can sometimes get ragged around the edges. Commuters are the voices, untrained, occasionally coarse-textured, but irresistibly real.
The article is a lighthearted human interest piece with no political or ideological agenda.
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