Rs 50 and about 40 minutes gets you into central Chennai
Chennai Metro’s Airport Station sits under T4 at Chennai International Airport and runs on the Blue Line toward Washermenpet. Trains usually start around 5:00 and wind down close to 23:00, with peak headways near 5–7 minutes. For solo travelers or anyone with one cabin bag and a backpack, this is the most predictable way into Guindy, Nandanam, and the rest of central Chennai during the day and evening.
The station connects directly to T4 arrivals via a short, signed walkway; from T1 or T2 you’re looking at roughly a 7–10 minute walk following “Metro Rail” signs. Buy a single-journey token from the vending machines or ticket counter; a ride from Airport to Chennai Central Metro usually costs in the Rs 40–60 range depending on distance. Keep at least Rs 100 in small notes or use a RuPay card for faster payment.
Step-by-step from arrivals: 1) Clear baggage claim and customs in T4 or T2. 2) Follow blue “Metro Rail” signs toward the Airport Metro Station; walking time is about 5–10 minutes. 3) At the concourse, use the fare machines or counter to buy a token to your stop, such as Alandur, Guindy, or Chennai Central Metro. 4) Swipe in at the gates, ride the escalator down to the platform, and board any Blue Line train heading toward Washermenpet. 5) Exit at your station, then follow signs to street level or connecting transport like autos and app cabs.
Trains hit Alandur in about 15 minutes and Chennai Central Metro in roughly 40 minutes, which usually beats a peak-hour taxi that can take 60–90 minutes along GST Road and Anna Salai. If you are heading to IT corridors around Guindy or Nandanam, staying on the Blue Line keeps you off the OMR bottlenecks and avoids haggling with taxi drivers outside the terminal doors.
One tip: if your flight lands after 22:00, check the day’s last-train timings for Airport and your interchange stations; missing the final departure by 5 minutes is a costly mistake compared to simply grabbing an Ola or prepaid cab for late-night arrivals.