Title - Chennai: Snag leaves train commuters stranded

Chennai: A flash trip in power supply in the Overhead Equipment (OHE) running across the Tambaram-Beach section spoiled travel plans of passengers on Sunday morning. OHE is an equipment used for transmitting electricity to trains at a distance from the energy supply point. The technical snag, reported between St Thomas Mount and Pallavaram railway stations, threw the operation of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains out of the gear. “Passengers had a harrowing 30 minutes wait at Beach Railway Station due the unexpected disruptions of train services,” said Periyasamy, a commuter. Claiming that the mad rush for trains replicated the everyday scene in Mumbai, he said, “Trains originating from Beach were unusually over crowded.” With the power failure reported at 8.20 am, trains plying from Tambaram to Beach were halted in subsequent stations leading to chaos. While several passengers moved out of the railway stations to find other modes of transport to reach their destinations, others decided to stay on expecting the resumption of services at any moment. A commuter from Park Station alleged that issuance of train tickets at the station (Park) was stopped for a while and people were advised to take buses. However, alternate arrangements were made. Trains were run on the main line and travellers were updated about the arrival and departure of trains over the PA system. The problem was rectified around 10 am and the operations resumed on the slow line. However, it took more time for normalcy to be restored. Commuters were seen vying with each other to board trains, as the number of services are less on Sundays.

When contacted, a railway official said that five EMU services were cancelled due to the power failure. Another senior railway official claimed that the disruptions were not large scale since the trains were run on the main line.