CHENNAI: Hundreds of suburban rail passengers were left stranded on Saturday morning after multiple electric multiple unit trains came to a halt on the same track near Tambaram owing to a signal failure between Perungalathur and Tambaram.
The disruption, which occurred amid ongoing maintenance works at Egmore railway station, affected EMU services operating from Chengalpattu and Guduvanchery towards Chennai Beach. Trains were halted near Perungalathur and Irumbuliyur, remaining stationary for over an hour and causing severe inconvenience to office-goers, factory workers and students.
With no immediate movement of services, several frustrated passengers alighted from the trains and walked along the tracks towards Tambaram railway station. On reaching Tambaram, many found limited services and were forced to wait longer, compounding the delay.
Railway officials said occasional signal-related delays and operational disruptions could occur until the maintenance works at Egmore are completed. They appealed to passengers to bear with the temporary inconvenience.
The signal fault was rectified after 10 am, following which the affected EMU services were gradually restored.
Meanwhile, commuters alleged that special buses announced to ease the burden were not operating at the promised frequency, leaving many dependent on overcrowded trains. Authorities indicated that from March 2, additional EMU services and special buses may be introduced on the route to manage the rush.