CHENNAI: Passengers thronged the Tambaram bus terminus on Sunday after Southern Railway cancelled 41 suburban train services between Tambaram and Chennai Beach due to maintenance work.
According to Southern Railway, services were cancelled between 10.45 am and 3.15 pm to facilitate maintenance work.
To minimise inconvenience, special trains were operated between Thirumalpur, Chengalpattu and Tambaram at hourly intervals. However, passengers arriving at Tambaram had to rely on Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses to reach destinations, including Chennai Beach, Vadapalani, T Nagar, Koyambedu, Saidapet, Guindy and the airport.
The sudden increase in passenger footfall led to heavy congestion at the Tambaram bus terminus. Although the MTC operated special bus services, commuters rushed to board the buses as overcrowding continued throughout the afternoon.
The additional special buses moving along the GST Road also resulted in heavy traffic congestion in the vicinity of the Tambaram bus terminus and railway station. Last week, passengers had requested extra services to compensate for the cancellation as July 12 was an auspicious day.
A similar situation was observed last Sunday (July 5), when 41 suburban services were cancelled from Tambaram. The situation had even left several commuters stranded, forcing many to travel in unsafe conditions.