CHENNAI: The store value card (CSC), also called as travel card, of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is likely to be discontinued from April, said CMRL sources.

The CMRL has already discontinued the issue of new cards or the top-up of the amount in the existing card in 11 Metro stations since January.

However, this is not a recent development, as CMRL has been pondering about putting a stop to issuing new travel cards since the implementation of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) in April 2023. A CMRL official said that multiple deadlines were kept to stop issuing the card, but “since the NCMC has picked up pace, we might stop issuing new travel cards and top-ups in a few months”.

As the issue of new cards or top-up has been stopped in select stations, sources said that it would be implemented in phased manner in all 41 stations. Some of the Metro stations that have already stopped issuing travel card are: New Washermenpet, Kaladipet, Shenoy Nagar, Egmore, Kilpauk, OTA-Nanganallur, Meenambakkam, Nandanam, Little Mount, Tiruvottiyur Theradi and Tiruvottiyur.

However, with the discontinuing of new travel cards and top-ups, CMRL officials have clarified that passengers would be allowed to exhaust the remaining amount in the card. “We’ll be issuing NCMC to passengers who are returning the travel card,” a CMRL official said. “The remaining balance in the card will be refunded, but no manual refund will be done.”

Meanwhile, since the implementation of NCMC, also named the ‘Singara Chennai Card’, only 4.30 lakh cards have been issued in the last 18 months. CMRL kick-started the launch in a rather dull note with only 2,400 cards being issued in the first three months since April 2023. However, 52,000 cards were issued in the next three months till September. And, by December 2024, CMRL had issued close to one lakh NCMC for Metro Rail commuters.

“CMRL witnessed a spike in the issuance of NCMC in early 2024, wherein, in just three months, over 1 lakh cards were issued in three months, till March,” said a CMRL official.

Additionally, from April 2024 till date, CMRL has issued more than two lakh cards. And, since its launch last year, CMRL has so far issued close to 4.30 lakh cards to its regular customers.

Meanwhile, it is to be noted that a top-up scam of Rs 69 lakh was unearthed recently, which occurred only in travel cards.