CHENNAI: The suburban train services were affected on the Chengalpattu-Tambaram-Chennai Beach route following a signal failure near Tambaram railway station on Friday morning.
According to officials, a sudden signal malfunction occurred on the section during peak morning hours. As a result, EMU trains operating from Chengalpattu towards Chennai Beach via Tambaram were halted at various stations, including Guduvanchery, Urapakkam, Vandalur and Perungalathur.
The disruption also affected EMUs running from Tambaram to Chennai Beach, while fast suburban services between Chengalpattu and Chennai Beach experienced delays. In total, 8 suburban train services were impacted by the signal failure.
Railway electrical engineers from Tambaram rushed to the spot and rectified the signal issue within around 40 minutes. Following the repairs, train services gradually resumed normal operations.
The disruption during the busy morning rush hour left thousands of passengers stranded in trains that were stopped along the route. Office-goers and students travelling from the southern suburbs were most affected due to the incident.