Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Train services will ply as usual from today”

CHENNAI: Train services continued to be disrupted on Monday at the Chennai Central Station as the derailment of two empty coaches in the backyard of the Central on Sunday evening had a cascading effect on train movement.

Though the derailed coaches were re-railed and the damaged overhead equipment set right in the early hours of Monday, the administration had to cancel, reschedule or divert a number of trains as some of the incoming trains could not reach the Central as per the schedule.

The Ganga Kaveri Express, the Trivandrum Mail and the Alleppey Express from the Central were rescheduled while the Tirupati Express was cancelled. Trains that pass through the Central were diverted at Perambur.

The Lalbagh Express from Bangalore, the Pinakini Express from Vijayawada, the Bangalore Express and the Inter- City Express from Coimbatore were diverted and started from the Egmore station.

Officials said that normality would be restored from Tuesday. Monday’s disruption was mainly owing to delayed arrival of trains.

Meanwhile, passengers complained that the administration had failed to give them proper information.

Though the administration had provided six special telephone lines for information at the Central Station, they did not get the line. Either the line was engaged or there was no response, they alleged.

The general enquiry no.139 was not of much help much to the passengers as it failed to provide information regarding rescheduling or cancellation of the services. People manning 139 said that they were giving information based on the reports from the Operating Department of Southern Railway headquarters.

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