Title - Trains delayed as locomotive breaks down

TRICHY: A Mangalore-bound express train suffered a locomotive failure in the early hours of Monday, due to which train services on that route were halted. The loco fault put hundreds of passengers into great hardship for more than two hours.

According to Tiruchirappalli railway division, train number 16107 Chennai Egmore - Mangalore Express train stopped between Ariyalur and Sillakudi at 4am on Monday as the locomotive encountered a problem. Despite acting quickly, the loco pilot could not succeed in his attempt to rectify the problem. On information, technicians from the Ariyalur station rushed to the spot and undertook the repair work. It took a nearly an hour to rectify the problem. By the time the train resumed its journey and reached Tiruchirapalli Junction there was a two-hour delay.

As a consequence, few other express trains, originating from Chennai Egmore were halted for a few hours due to the disruption. Train No. 16177 Rockfort Express from Chennai Egmore - Kumbakonam arrived two hours late at Tiruchirappalli Junction instead of arriving at 5.30am. Another express train, No. 16714 Chennai Egmore - Rameswaram Express also arrived 75 minutes late at the Tiruchirappalli Junction station. Similarly, the arrival of train number 16724 at Tiruchirappalli Junction was delayed by 100 minutes.